Taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed like a dreaded task for the Orlando Magic after a rough start to the NBA season. Despite the odds, however, the Magic successfully broke the Cavaliers’ win streak after a 108-103 away win, stopping the Cavs from hitting the all-important, historic 17-game winning streak.
Power forward Paolo Banchero led the way for the Magic with 24 points, while newly recovered Franz Wagner scored 22. Meanwhile, Wendell Carter Jr. scored 16 points and led the team in rebounds with 14.
This was the second impressive streak for the Cavaliers this season, as the team started the 2024-25 campaign winning 15 straight games before falling to the Boston Celtics. The Celtics were the last team the Cavs lost to before their 16-game run.
Currently, the Cavs retain its healthy lead in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Magic, sitting at eighth place, will have to power through the play-in tournament to make the playoffs.
Magic’s playoff chances
With the Cavs upset bringing back talks of the Magic’s playoff performance history and the team’s resilience in the games that matter, there’s hope yet for Magic fans to see the team make it to the playoffs. At eighth place in the Eastern Conference, however, this makes every game essentially a must-win to secure their place as the eighth seed.
Based on a recent Tristan Da Silva interview, the team has been on an optimistic run after the All-Star break as previously injured players get healthier leading up to the playoffs. The small forward helped hold the fort for the Magic, starting 35 games this season after Banchero and Wagner were sidelined due to injuries.
Still, Da Silva is positive that the Magic will be even better now that Banchero and Wagner are back in the lineup, allowing them to develop some chemistry and play with more cohesion. Da Silva also pointed to Jalen Suggs’ recent knee surgery as a factor for the team’s performance, explaining that the team has been “struggling with guys being out, guys being in,” and not being able to find their rhythm.
The team’s next important game is against the Spurs, where a win would grant the team the highest chance of clinching the seventh or eighth seed in the Conference. If the Magic can pull off their miracle play-in run and win over half of the team’s remaining games for the season, the playoffs are well within reach.
Previously, the team has made it into the NBA playoffs 17 times in 35 seasons. Orlando made it into the NBA Finals twice, in 1995 and 2009, and lost to the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.
Keeping track of the Magic’s odds
Magic fans looking to follow the team’s play-in tournament performance can keep track of the team’s odds by staying tuned to the remaining games for the season.
Meanwhile, avid fans who enjoy NBA betting can turn to sportsbooks for more in-depth analysis into team odds and if they’ll be able to clinch a spot in playoffs. Online betting platform Thunderpick covers all upcoming NBA events and allows fans to place single bets or make an accumulator for a chance of higher payouts. The platform also has a Live Mode feature, allowing fans to place bets on in-play events while watching games for a more immersive experience when considering whether the Magic can make the playoffs.
Finally, another way to keep up with the Magic’s playoff odds is to pay attention to player injury updates. With still so many remaining games in the season, a single-player injury can significantly impact the team’s playoff hopes. For example, the Wagner injury update early this year helped light a fire for the Magic and their fans, as the player was crucial to keeping the Magic top four in the standings, even against Banchero’s early-season injury. Now that the team is eighth in the Conference, Magic fans will have to hope no more injuries hit the starting lineup.
If you enjoyed this post, you may like our post on Dwight Howard’s induction into the team’s Hall of Fame. Howard is the only player in NBA history to have won three-straight Defensive Player of the Year titles. His induction would be the 13th in team history following guard Dennis Scott’s in 2023.