November 4, 2026 at 5:14 AM UTC
Pregame AnalysisShorthanded Magic Face a Tall Task in Phoenix
Orlando's injury list is long enough that the Suns should have the edge at home.
This page is the pregame analysis. The box score is the main page for the game, and the matchup history collects every meeting between these teams.
The most important fact in this game is who Orlando won't have. Paolo Banchero (ankle), Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac are all out, which takes away the Magic's top scorer and two core rotation players. Injuries have stretched their depth all season, and in Phoenix that leaves very little margin for an off night.
The Magic have still found ways to win. They went 2-1 on their recent road trip, with two victories over Eastern Conference contenders and a win at Toronto on Oct. 30. But they were only 2-3 and ninth in the East before facing Boston, so the record is more middling than the road results suggest. Their outcomes also track a few things closely: three-point shooting, bench scoring and turnovers. In wins they have hit 47.4% from deep, and in losses just 27.2%, while shooting 44.6% overall. Without Banchero and Suggs, Orlando will need another hot shooting night from outside to keep pace.
Phoenix is not at full strength either. Mark Williams is out with a shoulder injury, and Jordan Goodwin (calf) and Rasheer Fleming (ankle) are questionable, so the frontcourt and rotation could be thin. The Suns also arrive off a 116-113 loss to Golden State that included a third-quarter altercation, with Dillon Brooks drawing a technical and Khaman Maluach involved. A narrow loss like that can sting, and Phoenix should be motivated to respond at home.
The Suns' own absences keep this from being a blowout, and Orlando's road wins show it can compete. Still, the Magic's reliance on perimeter shooting is a hard way to win without their best creators. Phoenix should do enough to win a fairly tight game.
Prediction: Suns 111, Magic 104.