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One after the other, players and coaches from the Orlando Magic stepped to the halfcourt line, eyed the basket and heaved shots toward the rim.
Wednesday afternoon's workout at the University of Utah's practice facility went well for one of the NBA's upstart teams. The Magic walked through a few plays, talked about Utah Jazz personnel and then had a shooting contest. It was a loose atmosphere, one every NBA team needs to have periodically over the grind of 82 games.
The smiles from the players turned to ovations when head coach Scott Skiles swished one from halfcourt. Skiles is known as one of the biggest disciplinarians in the league, but on this day — with his team riding a four-game win streak — Skiles allowed his team to have some fun.
"I used to actually be pretty good at that," Skiles said of his shot. "But I rarely do that anymore."
When the Magic face the Jazz on Thursday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena, they will be one of the most relaxed teams in the league. They also seem to be a team that mirrors the Jazz, with a young and talented core, a new head coach capable of squeezing the most out of his team and a group that considers themselves capable of making the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Magic have won four consecutive games, each of them more impressive than the other. Three weeks ago, Orlando handed the Jazz one of their worst losses of the season, a blowout at the Amway Center in a game the Magic played well on both ends of the floor.
They haven't lost since Skiles made a lineup change, moving Channing Frye into the starting lineup and bringing Victor Oladipo off the bench as his sixth man. The Magic have gotten good production from nearly every spot in their lineup. Point guard Elfrid Payton has improved upon a good rookie season, and Tobias Harris has been solid after signing a contract extension this summer.
Orlando sits at 10-8 in the Eastern Conference, good for eighth place.
"They've got good players, and when that's the case, they are going to have some depth," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Finding guys to play together takes time, and it's a process. They have a good fit and they are playing well together. Their bigs are excellent shooters, and their guards are athletic and can get to the rim. That's a balanced team."
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Magic at Jazz
When • Thursday 7 p.m.
Where • Vivint Smart Home Arena
TV • ROOT
Radio • 1280 AM
Records • Utah 8-8; Orlando 10-8
Last Meeting • Orlando 102-93, Nov. 13
About the Magic • Orlando forward Aaron Gordon is first cousin to Tony Harvey, a former shooting guard at the University of Utah. … Scott Skiles and Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak are close friends, having been teammates in their NBA days. … The Magic have won four consecutive games. Two of those wins are by double-digits, with another coming by nine points. … Orlando is led by Evan Fournier, who averages 17 points per game. He and Jazz center Rudy Gobert are longtime friends and teammates on the French national team.
About the Jazz • Gobert will miss his second consecutive matchup against Orlando. He has a sprained MCL in his knee and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with the injury. … The Jazz have won two of their past three games, with a loss coming against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night. … In their previous meeting, the Jazz fell behind Orlando 33-15 after one quarter and trailed by as many as 22 points. It was Utah's third game in four nights. … Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward is enjoying his best stretch of the season, averaging 23 points over his past five games, including a season-high 33 in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 23.