An opening-night clash between the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets – two teams who have been rebuilding the last few years now hoping to take the next step (maybe a few steps) forward in their respective development – just made total sense.
Of course, nothing can be concluded from one game, no matter what juncture of the season we are in or where the contest takes place, but these two squads playing one another sure seemed like a good measuring stick for both.
If there’s validity to that, then there’s plenty for the Magic to smile about, as they played with the perfect amount of intensity, all while looking as advertised defensively in Wednesday’s 116-86 victory. The 30-point win is the largest margin of victory in an opening-night game in team history.
Looking back to last season, the Magic finished on the wrong side of .500 (34-48), but they'll be hoping to turn things around this year. Similarly, the Rockets finished with a dismal 22-60 record.
As for their game on Wednesday, the Magic are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by four points. They finished last season with a 45-34 record against the spread.
The Magic didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against the Rockets in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, but they still walked away with a 116-110 victory. Do the Magic have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rockets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Magic power forward Jonathan Isaac, who played in only 11 games over the last two seasons due to a series of injuries, had 11 points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. Isaac finished the third quarter with a block of a Jalen Green layup and drew a technical foul for standing over Green and taunting him.
The game marked the Rockets debut for Ime Udoka, who coached the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals in his only other season (2021-22) as an NBA head coach.
Rookie Amen Thompson, the No. 4 pick in the NBA draft, scored eight points in 21 minutes for Houston.
The Rockets saw four of their starters finish in double figures, including new signees Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.
The win marks coach Jamahl Mosley's first season-opening victory in his tenure. The Magic lost its previous two with him at the helm. The win is also the largest victory on an opening night in franchise history. The Magic is now 20-15 in season openers as a franchise.
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