Orlando @ Oklahoma City preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 29, 2017 ) Oklahoma City 108, Orlando 121

All-Stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook look to rebound from rough shooting performances when their Oklahoma City Thunder host the struggling Orlando Magic on Monday night. George was 1-of-14 from the field and missed eight of nine tries from 3-point range while Westbrook shot 4-of-15 from the floor overall as the Thunder were routed 112-80 at Golden State on Saturday for their seventh loss in 11 games.

Westbrook and George combine to score 47.4 points per contest and finished with 20 on Saturday as Oklahoma City connected on 33 percent from the floor in the loss after two straight victories that straddled the All-Star break. The Thunder sit 1 ½ games ahead of the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference and hope to take advantage of three straight teams sitting out of playoff position in the next three contests starting with the Magic, who have dropped five in a row. Orlando is just one game ahead of Phoenix for the worst record in the league after falling 116-105 at Philadelphia on Saturday in a game in which it trailed by 18 at halftime. “Our energy dropped,” Magic forward Aaron Gordon told reporters. “With this team, especially, we can’t lack energy. If we’re lacking energy, we’re digging ourselves our own grave. So every night we’ve got to at least match energy or come out with more energy through 48 minutes if we’re going to get a win.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), FS Oklahoma

ABOUT THE MAGIC (18-41): Gordon recorded 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists Saturday in his second game back from the injured list for Orlando, which has allowed 111.2 per game during its losing streak. Center Nikola Vucevic has averaged 17 points on 14-of-24 shooting in two games since coming back from injury while guard Evan Fournier scored 19.6 per contest over the last seven. One bright spot of late for the Magic is the emergence of former first-round pick Mario Hezonja, who is averaging 19.2 points on 49.3 percent shooting from the field over the last five games.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (34-27): Westbrook is averaging 19 points - a little more than six below his season mark - on 33.9 percent shooting in the last four contests, but has recorded 11.3 assists and 11.8 rebounds per game in that span. Carmelo Anthony has picked up some of the slack in that last four games, averaging 20 points, but missed five of his six tries from beyond the arc Saturday after draining 14-of-31 in the previous three games. Oklahoma City entered Sunday sixth in the league in scoring defense (103.4), but has allowed 113.3 points per game in the last four outings.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Gordon scored 40 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the 121-108 victory over the Thunder in Orlando on Nov. 29.

2. Oklahoma City C Steven Adams drained 15-of-21 shots from the field the last two games and averages 14 points and 9.1 boards overall.

3. Orlando PF Marreese Speights missed Saturday’s game to tend to a personal matter and is not expected to play Monday.

PREDICTION: Thunder 120, Magic 103