The Orlando Magic will have a very difficult two game slate over the weekend. They'll host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night before heading on the road to face the Panthers on Saturday. Both games start at 7 pm.
With the emergence of Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers have been a much tougher date than it would have appeared when the schedule came out. The Cavs are 8-12 this season, and the rookie point guard is averaging 18 points and just under five assists per game, with a PER around 22. Stopping him will be a key for the Magic on Friday night.
The Pacers have been one of the surprises in the NBA this season and have proven to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. They sit at 15-6, and are one of the strongest rebounding teams in the NBA. That is typically a strength for the Magic so it will be interesting to see how Dwight Howard and company respond.
We'll have plenty more on both of these games throughout the weekend on SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Magic, as always, you can check out Orlando Pinstriped Post. For more on the Cavaliers you can head to Fear the Sword and for more info on the Pacers check out Indy Cornrows. And for more on every NBA game, you can check out the SB Nation NBA hub page.