The Spurs are in the middle of a strange scheduling stretch. After losing to the Pelicans on Thursday, they will play the Magic at the tail end of a back-to-back on Friday before having two days off for the holidays before embarking on another back-to-back set. On the one hand, the games on consecutive nights will test San Antonio’s depth. On the other, the two days of rest could help them get everyone back healthy to face the last days of 2022 with a full roster and prepare for 2023 with more certainties.
The Magic’s record could fool some into thinking it could be an even battle, but Orlando is coming off seven wins in their last eight games, in which they’ve taken out some heavyweights, and rank top 10 in net rating in December.