What to Watch for in Rockets vs Magic

The Magic have been off to a decent start through 11 games, entering this matchup with a 7-6 record.

Like the Rockets, Orlando has been the winner of three straight games, even with their star player, Paolo Banchero, sidelined with a left groin strain.

Banchero suffered the injury on Wednesday against the New York Knicks, which kept him out of Friday's contest against the Nets and will likely keep him out of the game against Houston this afternoon as well.

No injury report has been confirmed for Banchero. Still, it's easy to speculate that the Magic will not risk injuring their star player for an even more extended period of time than necessary.

The Rockets are also dealing with injuries of their own, as announced on Saturday by Coach Ime Udoka, forward Tari Eason will be sidelined for at least four to six weeks due to a strained oblique.

Both teams are riding win streaks while dealing with a pesky injury bug, but someone will have to come out with a loss in this evening's game.

Here are a few things to watch for in today's Rockets-Magic matchup:

Who Replaces Tari Eason?

Eason was not a regular starter for Houston, but this still cuts into significant rotational minutes, as the fourth-year player averaged almost 24 minutes per game.

Notably, he was one of the team's top three-point shooters through the first 11 games, logging a 50.9% behind the arc.

Luckily for the Rockets, they happen to be one of the deeper teams in the NBA when it comes to reserve talent, so finding replacements should not take too long.

Josh Okogie and Steven Adams will undoubtedly be called upon to take on more minutes during Eason's absence.

However, Reed Sheppard is also expected to see an increase in minutes, as the young sharpshooter has begun to find his groove in the Rockets' past few games.

Keep Kevin Durant Hot

Kevin Durant has notched four 30-point games so far, proving to be well worth the energy that GM Raphael Stone put in this offseason to acquire the former NBA MVP from the Phoenix Suns.

In his first month with the Rockets, Durant has the most points in franchise history through 11 games (276), and the team also holds the best offensive rating in the NBA.

Going into this matchup with Orlando, the Rockets will need Durant to stay hot from the field, especially behind the three-point line, allowing the offense to flow with more space.

While it's not just on Durant to keep this offense flowing, keeping the veteran intertwined with the game plan is certainly a recipe for success this season for the Rockets.

Game Information:

Date: Sun, Nov 16.
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: Houston, Texas - Toyota Center
TV: NBA League Pass