ORLANDO, Florida – The Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers, two teams dealing differently with injuries to their All-Star players, meet in an NBA Cup matchup on Friday night. Tip-off time is 7pm ET at Kia Center.

The Magic, who are 7-6 overall, 6-0 at home and 1-0 in Cup play, continue their four-game winning streak. Their final 94-90 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night moved them into third place in the East.

The Sixers are 2-9 and still waiting to see the newly formed trio of Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid on the court together. Maxey will miss tonight’s game due to a hamstring injury.

Key Returners (2024-25 stats)

Important Additions

Notable Departures

Injury News to Watch on Match Day

MORE: Magic-Sixers Injury Report – Who is in and who is not in Friday’s NBA Cup match?

Important Numbers

The Sixers sit second to last in the Eastern Conference after 11 games. Six of the nine defeats were by double figures.

Joel Embiid returns Friday night, but this is his second game as he continues to work out his knee issues. Paul George, who missed six matches, will appear on the field without a minute restriction for the first time this season.

Limitations aside, George and Embiid are “Hall of Fame-caliber players,” as Magic argued during Friday morning’s shootout, and Sixers coach Nick Nurse is one of the best in the league, with an NBA championship and a Coach of the Year award under his belt. This current version of the Sixers should thrive barring further disruptions.

However, Orlando should take advantage of the Sixers’ still-improving situation. Magic, scorer Paolo Banchero and center Wendell Carter Jr. Even so, he plays well. They have the best home record in the NBA.

The Magic have held each opponent to under 100 points in their four home wins; This is remarkable considering the NBA’s scoring average per game is 113. The league’s best fourth quarter defenseThe Magic are allowing 103.7 points per game, the lowest in the league.

To follow ‘Orlando Magic on SI‘ on Facebook and like our page. Follow Magic beat reporter Mason Williams on Twitter/X @mvsonwilliams. Also, add it to your bookmarks home page so you don’t miss any stories.