The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Orlando Magic for the third time this season. They suffered a narrow defeat on Wednesday when they lost 106-102.

Back-to-back regular season matchups against the same team are rare, but provide a unique opportunity to see how these teams not only compare to each other, but also adapt and adapt their strategies from game to game. It’s as close to postseason adjustments as we got in December.

The Sixers will likely focus on two key areas in today’s game: the greatness of the Orlando Magic and the outstanding play of Franz Wagner. In their last game, the Sixers struggled to control the boards, allowing six Magic players to grab two or more offensive rebounds. Wagner, who is having an outstanding season, added to his long list of problems with a dominant performance, scoring 35 points and grabbing seven rebounds. To get back on the winning list, the Sixers will need to address at least one of these issues – if not both.

Getting Tyrese Maxey to play early will be crucial for the Sixers. He had a tough final game, shooting 0-for-7 from three goals and never finding an offensive rhythm. His shooting numbers are down compared to last year, and I’m betting that most of it has to do with the quality of shots he’s making:

Maxey has clearly felt the impact of playing without Joel Embiid’s presence on the court, but some additional play support could significantly improve his efficiency. Luckily for Maxey and the Sixers, reinforcements are on the way. Paul George is expected to return, and head coach Nick Nurse has hinted at the possibility that Embiid could make his comeback in the near future – although it won’t be in this game as the Sixers ruled him out on Thursday afternoon.

In addition to Embiid, freshman Adem Bona is also out with a bruised left knee. Andre Drummond is considered questionable and could return. If Drummond is unable to participate, the Sixers will have to make a close call against one of the NBA’s greatest teams.

While the Orlando Magic are admittedly undermanned without Paolo Banchero, they have remained a more than respectable team in his absence. A win in this clash would be a step towards restoring much-needed confidence.

Update 6:31 p.m. ET

Andre Drummond has been upgraded to available and will start Friday’s contest against Orlando. The Sixers have returned to their starting lineup before he was injured, a unit of Maxey, George, Oubre, Yabusele and Drummond.

Jonathan Isaac, also a game-time decision for Orlando, was sidelined with a sore right hamstring.

Game details

WHO: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Orlando Magic

When: 7:00 p.m. ET

Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

Regard: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

Consequences: @LibertyBallers