Sunday's matchup with Delaware is one of top-2 Eastern Conference teams
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D.J. Wilson is averaging a double-double for the Osceola Magic this season. The team returns home Sunday at 4 p.m. to begin an extended home stretch in March. PHOTO/KATIE WILLIAMS
The Osceola Magic are lined up for an important — and potentially exciting — stretch run to the NBA G League playoffs.
And, the best part is, you’ll get to see much of it in person.
The Magic start a run of 10 home games in their final 14 regular-season contests through the month of March on Sunday, when Osceola (13-7) welcomes the Delaware Blue Coats (15-6), the Philadelphia 76ers affiliate.
The 4 p.m. game is a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top two teams, and could be a playoff preview. The first 1,000 fans in attendance receive a Mac McClung bobblehead, fresh off his defense of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest title last week at the All-Star weekend festivities in Indianapolis, and Trevelin Queen was the MVP of the G League “Next Up” game.
The Magic are 3-0 since the All-Star break, after beating the G League Ignite 124-113 in Las Vegas Friday, and taking 113-111 and 131-113 wins in Utah against the Salt Lake City Stars Monday and Tuesday.
Queen contributed a team-high 25 points and six rebounds in Monday’s victory that saw Osceola outscore Salt Lake 40-19 in the second quarter.
"Everyone on our team has a purpose; we care for each other on and off the court," Queen said. "When we go out there, we say 'Let's be Magic;' we are friends, and that helps. We’re focused on making the playoffs; we are going to stick hard to our principles every game.”
Tuesday, D.J. Wilson scored a season-high 35 points on 14-of-19 shooting and added nine rebounds and seven assists. McClung scored 22 and Alex Morales came off the bench to add 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
“We’ve been learning from our mistakes and building good habits,” Wilson said after that game. “When we play team basketball on both ends, the sky is the limit for us. We were locked in defensively tonight, and that helped us lead to many easy buckets. We’re ready to get back to Osceola and protect home court.”
Sunday is also Teacher Appreciation Day. The Magic follow Sunday’s game with a Tuesday matchup against the Maine (Boston) Celtics.
McClung (23.1 points per game) is currently seventh in the G League in scoring; Wilson (21.0) is 22nd, and sixth in rebounds (10.1 per game).
