Pacers face tired Magic club that knows 'it could get ugly'
On the precipice of their longest slide of the season, the Orlando Magic are at a crossroads. They're also tired.
Coach Scott Skiles is trying to find a solution.
With changes imminent, the Magic again seek their first win of 2016 by getting a rare one against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
Orlando (19-16) opened the season with a three-game skid, and the team matched it with a winless road swing after falling 115-89 at Detroit on Monday.
"We've just got to figure it out because if we don't, it could get ugly," guard Victor Oladipo told the team's official website. "We've got to figure it out, and I believe that we will.
"We've got to decide if we want to be successful or it's going to get ugly."
The Magic have been outscored by an average of 21.0 points over the last three games, shooting 26.2 percent from beyond the arc. That doesn't bode well considering they've lost five straight and nine of their last 10 to the Pacers.
A lack of energy is a problem and it showed early against the Pistons.
"Two or three minutes into the game, and we already had guys bending over and grabbing their shorts. We've been a low-energy team for a while now," Skiles said. "We certainly look tired."
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He's planning to make changes to end the slump.
"I have to take action. It might not work, but I've got to do something to change things so that we can try to get back on track," Skiles said.
While Skiles didn't offer specifics, he'll likely be forced to start Oladipo a second straight game with Elfrid Payton nursing an ankle injury.
Oladipo totaled 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists while starting in Payton's place Monday after averaging 12.1, 3.8 and 4.2 as a reserve over the previous 20 games.
He had 15 points and seven boards in a 97-84 loss at Indiana on Nov. 9.
Nikola Vucevic sat out that meeting with a knee injury. The center leads the team with 16.8 points per game and 8.3 rebounds, but he's produced only 11.3 and 4.3 over the past three games.
His 27 points weren't enough in a 106-99 loss to the Pacers (19-15) in the most recent home meeting last Jan. 25. Orlando has averaged 85.6 points in its last 10 versus Indiana, shooting 39.8 percent.
The Pacers have dropped seven of their last eight on the road, surrendering an average of 107.3 points -- 8.6 above their season mark.
They blew an 18-point, third-quarter lead while falling 103-100 in overtime at Miami on Monday, their sixth loss in nine games.
"It's tough, you know. George Hill is out, C.J. Miles is out. Chase (Budinger) is struggling (with an illness), so we were limited with our three point options," coach Frank Vogel told the team's official website.
It's unknown if Vogel will have Hill (food poisoning) and Miles (shoulder) available Wednesday. Miles started for Hill on Monday, scoring seven points in seven minutes before getting hurt.
Glenn Robinson III and Joe Young filled in for Miles, but they combined for three points on 1 for 6 shooting from the floor.
Paul George has been outstanding over the last three games, averaging 31.7 points while connecting on 14 of 29 3-pointers. The star forward had 13.0 points per game and shot 27.7 percent -- 29.7 from long range -- over the five prior contests.
He scored 27 against the Magic on Nov. 9, while Hill added 23.
