Cliché time. OKC needs to show up early, put the foot on Scott Skiles’ young Magic team, cruise to a road win, and improve to 2-0. Take care of business. One game at a time. Anybody can beat anybody on a given night–blah, blah, blah. This is a young team coming off a 25-57 season and a fifth place finish in the Southeast Division. I haven’t even checked the official Vegas spread, but I would guestimate OKC -7.5 or so.
Orlando has some promising young players in Victor Oladipo, Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Elfrid Payton, and Aaron Gordon, but OKC is one of the three most talented teams in the NBA when healthy and OKC should win this game. Orlando comes off a narrow loss to the Wizards. OKC comes off a dramatic hard fought win over the Spurs.
Much better game for Kevin Durant to work off his rust as he should find space and time much easier to come by working against various Magic defenders instead of Kawhi Leonard. It would seem an appropriate game to insert Mitch McGary into the mix off the bench. One would think Russell Westbrook will have another Russell Westbrook game. But still—the clichés.
Minor storyline is Billy Donovan’s return to Orlando where he was coach for six days in June of 2007 before changing his mind and returning to the University of Florida. People in Florida love Billy Donovan. It’s not like he ever left the Gators to coach the hated Kentucky Wildcats. Seems like a mini lifetime ago since Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson led the Magic to an NBA Finals appearance.
Cliché finish…be professional and just win the game.