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The New York Knicks were driven by Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.

The Philadelphia 76ers didn't present much of a challenge for the Utah Jazz, no matter what they did. The Charlotte Hornets were difficult to match up with because of their shooting and versatility.

  On Friday night, the Orlando Magic will give the Jazz a different issue: Overall team athleticism.

  In Elfrid Payton, Evan Fournier, Jeff Green, Aaron Gordon, Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo, the list really goes on and on, the Magic are one of the more athletic teams in the league. They have superior length at almost every position, and are a young and energetic team that the Jazz have to figure out ways to counter.

 "We have to be good running our stuff, and we have to be precise," Utah small forward Gordon Hayward said. "They have a lot of talent, a lot of guys who can get up and down the floor. They can give teams a lot of problems."

The Jazz weren't able to beat the Magic last season, losing both games, both without the services of Rudy Gobert. Orlando isn't the best shooting teams from the perimeter — Fournier and Ibaka are the two biggest threats — but they are a very good rebounding team, and a team that feeds off its ability to get out into transition.

  That means the Jazz are going to have to run a good offense on Friday night, and make open shots, something that didn't happen on Wednesday night against the Hornets. It also could be the third straight game for the Jazz without the services of George Hill, their excellent point guard.

  Hill — who sprained his thumb against the Knicks on Sunday — hasn't played since. He didn't go through Friday's shootaround, and remains questionable for the game. If Hill can't go, expect Shelvin Mack to garner a third consecutive start. But Dante Exum has been coming on strong of late. Against Charlotte, Mack and Exum each played 24 minutes, but the position suffered in some respects down the stretch of what turned into a 104-98 loss.

  Utah comes into Friday night with a 5-4 record. The Jazz are on the tail end of their first long trip of the season. They've played seven of their last nine games on the road, and have battled continuous injury for the entire season. Sunday's win over the Knicks was the first and only time this year they've played with their projected starting five.

— Tony Jones