There was a bit of positivity ringing amongst the Orlando Magic faithful right before the All-Star break.
Despite the fact that they still don’t see the light at the end of the rebuilding tunnel, they have put on a nice winning run in the ever-competitive NBA season. It gave some of their fans a good feeling coming into the break as it reminded them of their more dominant days a decade ago.
Their first game after the break is a narrow defeat, and their trip up north will be as arduous — if not more difficult — than the last one. The playoffs are still far from reach, but a man can dream.
It will be interesting to see how the Magic will defy NBA 2019 odds and take down one of the best teams in the East.
Orlando Magic @ Toronto Raptors (February 25, 04:30 GMT+8)
I would understand if you would think Orlando’s winning streak was due to playing consecutive games against the worst teams in the league. While they did have the fortune of facing weakened opposition, the quality of the teams they faced through their five-game winning streak is no joke.
The fact that they won against teams like Minnesota, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and New Orleans is a testament to the quality of team basketball they have been playing to keep themselves in the playoff conversation.
I think that Nikola Vucevic, Steve Clifford and the rest of the squad should be commended for the good run of form they have accrued. However, I don’t think that they have what it takes to beat a Toronto squad that is hungry to finish the regular season at the top of the East.
There’s still no assurance from Kawhi Leonard‘s camp that he will not pack up and go back to the sunny beaches of California. The only way that their huge trade for the two-way star will pay off is if the North would manage to reach the NBA Finals and win the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Kawhi averages 27 points a night, making him a big target for Orlando’s defensive scheme. However, he is not the only one to watch out for in Toronto. The team are pulling together to make a deep playoff run, Nick Nurse has a talented squad that he can take to the greatest heights.
I don’t think Vucevic and friends would be able to stop them from scoring points, but they could at least try to hamper the damage.
Betting Tip: Toronto Raptors -9.50 @ 2.00
Los Angeles Clippers @ Denver Nuggets (February 25, 06:00 GMT+8)
The All-Star fever should still be at its peak at the Mile High City as they finally had their first All-Star since 2011 in Nikola Jokic.
The big man had a lot of fun representing the Nuggets in the All-Star Game, and his presence is also a salute to the amazing work Mike Malone has done with the basketball team. The Nuggets weren’t even in the playoff conversation at the start of the season, but their 40-18 performance is easily one of the biggest NBA 2019 news stories.
They are coming to this game after a successful trip to Dallas to take down the Mavericks. They have the opportunity to catch up to the Golden State Warriors at the top of the Western Conference if they manage to beat the Clippers, but that is easier said than done.
The Clippers may have lost Tobias Harris, but there are still pieces that Doc Rivers can fully integrate to the squad. Ivica Zubac and Landry Shamet could definitely hold down the fort with Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari and give the Nuggets a basketball game.
However, I don’t think they’ll succeed in taking Denver down.
Betting Tip: Denver Nuggets -9.00 @ 2.00
San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks (February 25, 08:30 GMT+8)
I still cannot believe that they let Kristaps Porzingis go create a terrifying duo at Dallas. New York may be a fantastic city, but pinning your hopes on the thought that two superstars will team up at the Big Apple is too big of a gamble, even for my standards.
However, that is still in the summer. All SBOBET fans care about is how badly they will lose their upcoming game against the San Antonio Spurs.
It’s still not sure if LaMarcus Aldridge would be able to suit up in this match, but I don’t see any reason for the Spurs to win this game without him. They just endured a bitter defeat at the hands of their former star man, and DeMar DeRozan should be more than eager to vent out all of his frustrations upon the poor Knicks.
What many of the New York faithful could do once they are at the Madison Square Garden is to dream of the possibilities. They can definitely imagine Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Zion Williamson tearing the league in Knicks jerseys.
I suppose it wouldn’t be bad to dream if your team would lose by double digits.
Betting Tip: San Antonio Spurs -8.50 @ 1.95
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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