The Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors hit Monday night with more tape than a training room. The Dec. 29 matchup is defined by who is available and who is not, and that list is long on both sides. For Orlando, Jalen Suggs is doubtful with a left hip contusion, while key wings Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner are already ruled out. For Toronto, RJ Barrett will sit, Jakob Poeltl won’t go due to a back issue, and Collin Murray-Boyles is under the weather and questionable.

In other words, this one is going to be about problem-solving. Which side covers the gaps better? Which starter steps up? And which bench piece turns a quiet shift into a winning swing?

Latest injury report: Magic vs Raptors, Dec. 29

Orlando’s list is heavy. Suggs is doubtful after a left hip contusion. Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Moritz Wagner (left knee injury recovery) are both out. Goga Bitadze is questionable with a left knee strain. That’s a lot of size and ball pressure off the floor for the Magic, and it puts more on the young guards and wings who remain.

Toronto has its own challenges. RJ Barrett will not play on Monday due to rest, and center Jakob Poeltl is out with a back issue. The Raptors also list Collin Murray-Boyles as questionable with an illness. Earlier in the month, Barrett’s right knee sprain was flagged with a timeline into early December, and now he sits again for rest. The injury picture has been a rolling story for Toronto.

“If Suggs sits, can Banchero carry the load in Toronto?”

What Orlando needs without Suggs and the Wagners

Paolo Banchero is the central piece. He averages 19 points and 8 rebounds in 32 minutes, and his touches will climb. The second-year star can bully into the paint, post smaller defenders, and draw help. With Franz Wagner out, the ball will be in Banchero’s hands even more as a scorer and as a trigger for drive-and-kick action.

Anthony Black has quietly become a steady scorer, adding 15 points and 3 assists per game. His size helps Orlando switch on the perimeter and keep the ball moving. When Black plays downhill and keeps it simple, Orlando’s half-court game looks cleaner.

Then there’s Wendell Carter Jr. He’s at 12 points and 7 rebounds, but the telling number is his .406 three-point shooting. That spacing changes the geometry of the floor. With Carter popping to the arc, Banchero can find lanes, and Orlando can force Toronto’s defenders into long closeouts. If Goga Bitadze is cleared, those minutes bring rim protection and screening, but if he sits, Carter’s versatility becomes even more important.

Where Toronto turns without Barrett and Poeltl

RJ Barrett’s absence removes a downhill wing who can score in bunches and bend defenses. Jakob Poeltl’s absence removes the anchor in the middle: screen setting, rim protection, and extra possessions on the glass. Without Poeltl, Toronto’s frontcourt has to rebound by committee.

That leans on Scottie Barnes. He’s posting 18.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists — a box-score line that screams point-forward. Barnes can control tempo, hunt mismatches, and punish small lineups on the boards. If he gets to his spots early, Toronto’s offense settles.

Scoring punch should also come from Brandon Ingram (27.5 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) and Immanuel Quickley (26 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists). Ingram’s mid-range and shot-making can break tough stretches. Quickley brings pace and pull-up shooting, which is vital when your half-court spacing is in flux. With Collin Murray-Boyles questionable due to illness, Toronto may need those creators to carry even more of the load.

“No Poeltl? Then the glass is where this game is won or lost.”

Matchup keys: rebounding, rim pressure, and pace

• The glass: With Poeltl out and Bitadze questionable, both teams must gang rebound. Barnes has been a one-man board vacuum. Orlando needs Carter and Banchero to box out and finish possessions.
• Rim pressure: Suggs’ status matters here. If he’s out, Orlando loses a straight-line driver. That puts more on Banchero to live in the paint and more on Black to get two feet in the lane. For Toronto, Barnes’ size and Quickley’s burst are the engines.
• Spacing vs. switches: Carter’s .406 from three forces bigs to defend out to the arc. If Toronto switches, Banchero can attack smaller defenders in the post. If they stay home, Orlando’s shooters have to make the corners count.
• Turnovers: Short-handed groups often struggle with timing. The cleaner team will likely create 6–8 easy points in transition, and that can be the difference in a tight game.

Numbers to watch

Banchero’s 19 and 8 are the base line. If he gets to 10+ free throws, it means he’s living at the rim and Orlando has control. For Toronto, Barnes’ rebounding is the tell. Anything near his 14.5 average signals that the Raptors are surviving the Poeltl gap. Quickley at 26 points shows he’s finding rhythm as a lead guard. Ingram at 27.5 points is a reminder: when he gets to his spots, late-clock offense becomes a strength, not a scramble.

The injury report, in plain words

Official listings confirm what both benches already know: this is a “next man up” night. Orlando: Jalen Suggs (doubtful, left hip contusion); Franz Wagner (out, left high ankle sprain); Moritz Wagner (out, left knee injury recovery); Goga Bitadze (questionable, left knee strain). Toronto: RJ Barrett (out, rest; earlier noted right knee sprain), Jakob Poeltl (out, back), Collin Murray-Boyles (questionable, illness). These statuses were updated through Monday and frame the game plan on both sides.

“Barnes vs. Banchero is the headline — who owns the paint wins.”

Big questions heading into tip

• Can Orlando’s offense stay steady without Suggs and Franz Wagner? Watch Black’s decision-making and Carter’s pick-and-pop threes.
• Can Toronto protect the rim without Poeltl? Barnes’ help defense and gang rebounding must cover the gap.
• Who gets the easier points? Fast-break chances off turnovers could flip a quarter.
• Whose bench pops? One hot stretch from a role player could be the swing.

Bottom line

This isn’t the clean, full-strength meeting fans might have circled, but it is a sharp test of identity. Orlando needs Banchero to be the steady star and for Carter’s shooting to stretch the floor. Toronto needs Barnes to be everywhere, Quickley to control pace, and Ingram to close possessions with tough shot-making. With Barrett out and Poeltl sidelined, the Raptors’ margin on the glass is thin; with Suggs doubtful and the Wagners out, the Magic will have to manufacture dribble penetration and keep the ball popping.

Expect a grind. Expect coaching adjustments. Expect the team that wins the paint — and the possession battle — to walk out with a valuable December win.