The Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-103 on Sunday, ending their 16-game winning streak.
With this win, the Magic improved to 32-37 on the season. They are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference and are fighting to maintain their play-in spot.
While Orlando is having a down season compared to last year, this win shows what they are capable of.
Last season, Orlando shocked everyone as they emerged as a breakout team in the Eastern Conference. With a young core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, the Magic captured the 5th seed in the east. Despite a first round exit at the hands of the Cavaliers, the future seemed bright in Orlando.
That may still be the case, but this young team would face some setbacks to start the 2024-25 season.
Five games into the season, Banchero suffered a torn right oblique. This injury would keep him out of the lineup for 34 games.
Most expected the Magic to sink to the bottom of the conference without their best player, but Orlando found ways to stay afloat.
Wagner took the reins offensively in Banchero’s absence. In 20 games without his All-Star teammate this season, Wagner has averaged 26.1 points, 6.3 assists and 6 rebounds.
Suggs would also step up offensively, as he averaged 16.4 points without Banchero.
Unfortunately for Wagner, he would suffer the same injury as Banchero and would go on to miss 20 games.
By the time Banchero returned to the lineup on Jan.10, the Magic sat at 22-18. However, Orlando has been unable to catch a consistent rhythm since then. They have endured a couple of 5-game losing streaks and a 4-game losing streak in between.
Players coming in and out of the lineup has contributed to this inconsistency. Banchero, Suggs and Wagner have only been able to play a total of 6 games together this season.
Injuries would continue to haunt the Magic throughout the season. In December, backup center Mo Wagner tore his left ACL and would miss the remainder of the season. Orlando would suffer another huge blow when Suggs suffered a left knee injury in January. Suggs is out indefinitely, but has not ruled out a possible return this season.
The Magic are the lowest scoring team in the league at 104.4 points per game. They are also the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, at just 31.1%. It is no secret that in the modern day NBA, teams need to be able to shoot the 3-pointer in order to win.
Despite their struggles, the one department that Orlando can hang their hat on has been their defense. The Magic are currently tied for 2nd in defensive rating, with the Houston Rockets and LA Clippers, at 109.3. Orlando’s defense has kept them in games where they are unable to score.
With about a month left in the season, the Magic seem to be locked into a play-in spot. When healthy and at their best, Orlando is a dangerous matchup for any of the east’s top seeds.
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