The NBA has released
its 2018-19 schedule, and the Magic will play 12 of their first 18 games at home, starting with their opener against the Heat.
The NBA released its 2018-19 regular-season schedule Friday, leading to one major takeaway for the Orlando Magic.
The schedule should help the Magic begin their season on a solid note. The Magic will play 12 of their first 18 games at Amway Center, beginning with their season opener Oct. 17 against the Miami Heat.
Taking advantage of their home-heavy early schedule will be imperative for Orlando, even though Magic players still will be getting accustomed to new head coach Steve Clifford and new assistant coaches and vice versa.
A fast start will be crucial because the Magic’s schedule will toughen on Nov. 23 when the team opens a difficult West Coast road trip.
Here’s a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the Magic’s 2018-19 schedule — along with a listing of all 82 of the team’s regular-season games.
The good
The Magic will play only 14 pairs of back-to-back games. That’s the
franchise’s smallest number of back-to-backs since it played 13 back-to-backs during the 2012-13 season. Three of the 14 back-to-backs will be rare “home-to-home” back-to-backs in which the Magic will play both games at Amway Center.
The Magic will play their two games against LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers early in the season: on Nov. 17 at Amway Center and Nov. 25 at Staples Center. With so many new faces, including James, the new-look Lakers likely will need time early in the season to jell. The Magic should be better off playing the Lakers early rather than later in the season.
The bad
The Magic will play five of their first six games against clubs that made the playoffs last season: the Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers and Milwaukee Bucks. The only non-playoff team in the group is the Charlotte Hornets, and the Hornets have dominated the Magic in recent years.
Although the Magic technically will play 41 home games, two of those games will be played at a neutral site, Mexico City, against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 13 and the Utah Jazz on Dec. 15. From a competitive standpoint, it’s a concern anytime a team plays fewer than 41 games on its home court.
Still, it appears the league has given the Magic sufficient rest time before and after the two Mexico City matchups. The team won’t play on Dec. 11 or Dec. 12, so Magic players should have some time to adjust to the altitude. After the game against the Jazz, the Magic also will have Dec. 16-18 off before they host the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 19 at Amway Center.
Danger zones
From Nov. 23 through Dec. 4, the Magic will play six consecutive road games, facing the Denver Nuggets, Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns and Heat. Then, on Dec. 5, on the second night of a back-to-back, the Magic will host the Nuggets. Another home game, against the Indiana Pacers, will follow on Dec. 7. That eight-game stretch will be one of the Magic’s toughest parts of the season.
The Magic will also play six consecutive road games from Dec. 31 through Jan. 9, facing the Hornets (on the second night of a back-toback), Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Jazz. That will be an exhausting stretch for Orlando. Making matters worse: The schedule won’t ease up when the Magic return home. They’ll host the Celtics on Jan. 12 and host the Houston Rockets on Jan. 13.
Of note
The Magic won’t play West Coast or Rocky Mountain road games after Jan. 9. It’s rare for the Magic to finish all of their trips out west as early as Jan. 9.
Single-game tickets for all regular-season games will go on sale on Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. For more information, call 407-89-MAGIC or go to OrlandoMagic.com.