Toronto has absences of its own. Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss a period of weeks with swelling in his left knee, though an MRI showed no structural damage. Nate Bittle is out with a foot injury. The question with Kawhi out was who carries the offense, and Barnes has given 2 very different answers. He went 0-for-12 and finished scoreless in a 117-94 loss in Minnesota, the first game Leonard missed. Then he dropped 28 on Orlando.
The records sit at 3-1 and 1-3 as of Thursday, but the scoring tells you more. Toronto has put up 129 and 135 in its 2 home games and beaten Chicago by 43. Orlando has given up 115 or more in all 3 losses. The Magic's one win, 111-102 at Madison Square Garden over the Knicks, shows this roster can grind out a game, but even that one came before Suggs went down. The Magic team that shows up Friday is thinner than the one that won in New York.
Orlando needs to make this ugly. It can't win a track meet in Toronto with Bane and whatever's left on the wing, and the first game proved it: 53 points allowed in a half. A slower game with more possessions in the halfcourt, with someone sticking to Barnes from the opening tip, is the only version where the Magic keep it close. Toronto just has to show it can do it twice. Tipoff is 7:30 PM ET Friday.