After a 2-2 Western road trip following wins against teams that enter Friday’s action a combined 2-21, the Orlando Magic seek its first home win of the season and first three-game win streak since April as it hosts the Milwaukee Bucks in a game that counts towards the NBA Cup. It’s the second contest in East Group A for both teams and is expected to feature the return of guard Jalen Suggs, who has missed eight games after suffering a right knee bone bruise on Oct. 25.

The Magic won their NBA Cup opener in Toronto 121-114, so they’re even with the idle Detroit Pirates atop the Group A standings, The Raptors, the lone team to have played twice, are 1-1, while the Bucks and Brooklyn Nets are winless.

Franz Wagner comes off matching a career-high with 38 points in a 123-108 victory in Utah, shooting 13-for-23 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. Wagner averaged 11 assists over the first three games of Orlando’s western swing, but recorded just one vs. the Jazz. The German forward averaged 29 points over the four games and  has been one of the NBA’s most productive players since Paolo Banchero was knocked out for at least a month due to a high ankle sprain.  

Anthony Black had a rough start in Phoenix but ended up heating up after facing the Suns and wound up averaging 19 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.5 steals, so he’ll have to remain aggressive with Suggs back. It remains to be seen whether first-year head coach Sean Sweeney will start Black alongside Suggs and Desmond Bane, whose 25 points in Utah marked his second-highest output of the season.

The Bucks are right there as co-owners of the NBA’s worst record alongside the Jazz at 1-11, arriving in Central Florida winless in November and on an eight-game losing streak after falling at home to the L.A. Lakers 123-112 on Wednesday. Tyler Herro returned from an ankle sprain to score 27 points and dish out seven assists as Milwaukee continued to struggle. It hasn’t helped the Bucks’ cause that every team they’ve faced during their losing streak has come into their matchup with a winning record.

The Magic trail the Bucks in the all-time series 77-58 despite winning three of the last four meetings, including two of three last season. The Magic won in Milwaukee the last time these teams got together 130-91 on March 8, but fell at home 116-108 on Feb. 11 thanks to Cam Thomas’ 34 points in his most impactful performance for the team before being waived weeks later. Bane scored 31 for Orlando, shooting 8-for-11 from 3-point range.

Game date, time and location: Friday, Nov. 13, 7:10  p.m. ET, Kia Center, Orlando, Florida

TV: MagicTV 27, DAZN (Orlando), WVTV-DT2 - MyMilwaukee24 (Milwaukee)

Radio: 96.9 The Game (Orlando), WTMJ (Milwaukee)

PROJECTED STARTERS

MAGIC

F Anthony Black

F Franz Wagner

C Wendell Carter Jr.

G Jalen Suggs 

G Desmond Bane

BUCKS

F Nate Ament

F Kyle Kuzma

C Myles Turner

G Tyler Herro

G Brayden Burries

INJURY REPORT

MAGIC

F Paolo Banchero: Out, RIght Low Grade High Ankle Sprain

G Jalen Suggs: Questionable, Right Knee Contusion/Bone Bruise

F Tristan da Silva: Questionable, Left Calf Strain

F Jamal Cain: Questionable, Left Shoulder Contusion

F Noah Penda: Out, Right Partially Torn Hamstring

F Jonathan Isaac: Out, Left Knee Injury Management

F/C Izaiyah Nelson: Out, Left Ankle Injury Recovery

BUCKS

None

Spread: Magic -8.5 (-118), Bucks +8.5 (-102)

Moneyline: Magic -378, Bucks +300

Total points scored: 222.5 (Over -110, Under -110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 

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QUOTABLE

"I think that he shot every time, didn’t pass. I think he only had one assist. No, I thought he was great. I thought he was relentless in his attack." - Magic coach Sean Sweeney on Franz Wagner