Golden State brings a 6-3 record and a top-10 power ranking into Saturday’s matchup with an Orlando team missing key creators.
Saturday’s 8:30 p.m. ET matchup gives the 6-3 Warriors a chance to protect their early-season edge against a 2-6 Magic team; Golden State ranks ninth in the power index, Orlando 24th. The Warriors average 117.8 points per game, and Stephen Curry has made 33 threes in seven games, while Orlando averages 105.5 points and needs Franz Wagner’s 68 assists to organize its offense. Desmond Bane’s 28 made threes give the Magic another perimeter threat, but Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs are out, while Draymond Green is questionable for Golden State. The deciding question is whether Wagner and Bane can create enough against the Warriors’ attack to keep pace with Curry, whose shooting can turn the scoring gap into a steep climb for Orlando.