Orlando @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 16, 2017 ) Orlando 92, Golden State 122

The Golden State Warriors are rolling right along and are dominating opponents by an average of 21.5 points during a six-game winning streak. The Warriors will try to make it seven in a row and wrap up a perfect four-game homestand when they host the Orlando Magic on Monday.

Golden State is using the third quarter to bury opponents of late and outscored the Philadelphia 76ers 36-21 in that frame en route to Saturday's 135-114 triumph. "I'd like to be a first-half team too," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "That's the next step. It does seem like teams come after us early. ... We want to put it together for four quarters, but right now it seems like we are kind of treading water for a while and getting it going in the second half." The Magic have an offense capable of putting up big scoring numbers but are struggling to match the consistency of a team like Golden State. Orlando struggles when it is without a true point guard leading the offense, and it hopes to have Elfrid Payton back in the lineup on Monday.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), NBCS Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE MAGIC (8-5): Payton sat out eight straight games with a hamstring injury and guided Orlando to back-to-back wins upon his return before sitting out the second night of a back-to-back to rest on Saturday and watching his team drop a 125-107 decision in Denver. "Our season speaks to how important our point guards are to us and how point guards are with us moving the ball," reserve power forward Jonathan Isaac told the team's website after the loss. "(Payton) plays one game and we’re slinging it all over and we’re back to ourselves. Then, tonight (without Payton), we had the slow start moving the ball. So, when E.P. gets back hopefully for this next game, we’ll go to battle." D.J. Augustin, who started at point guard in place of Payton during his initial absence, is also dealing with a strained left hamstring.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (10-3): The best thing about Golden State's tendency to destroy teams in the third quarter is that is allows the starters to get some extra rest in the fourth. Kevin Durant sat out a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday with a thigh bruise and breezed to 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting in just 28 minutes on Saturday, and no player logged more than 31 minutes. The Warriors lead the NBA in scoring (120.3 points), assists (31), field-goal percentage (52.1) and point differential (plus-12) but don't have a player averaging more than Durant's 34.6 minutes.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Orlando C Nikola Vucevic slumped to eight points on 4-of-12 shooting Saturday - the second time in 13 games this season that he failed to score in double figures.

2. Warriors SG Klay Thompson is 10-of-18 from 3-point range in the last two games.

3. Golden State took the last eight in the series, including two meetings last season by an average of 25 points.

PREDICTION: Warriors 128, Magic 113