NCAA baseball scoreboard
ORLANDO, Fla. –– The Orlando Magic will formally play postseason basketball in 2025.
By advantage of the Magic’s dominating victory over the Sacramento Kings Saturday night time, Orlando has clinched a top-10 seed within the Japanese Convention. Orlando now is aware of that, on the very least, it’s going to play within the Play-In Match as soon as the common season finishes.
However, with seven video games left within the common season and many to nonetheless be decided seeding-wise, the Magic aren’t caught up in any type of celebration.
“We’re not completed, and that is what we have now to proceed to give attention to,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned after Saturday’s end result. “One sport at a time.”
“We have got the Clippers coming in right here, our focus must be on [them] now and perceive precisely what we have to do for that sport at dwelling.
Nevertheless, after a season crammed with loads of ups and downs, the Magic have safety that they will not be completed taking part in in spite of everything 82 common season video games have concluded.
“That is what you’re employed for all season,” mentioned Paolo Banchero, who scored 24 factors to steer the Magic in victory Saturday. “We have handled a variety of accidents and stuff all year long, so simply the truth that we’ll be within the postseason, nobody is taking it as a right.
“I feel everybody’s excited and simply need to end these final seven video games out robust and put ourselves in one of the best place heading into the postseason.”
The Magic, now 36-39, at the moment occupy the No. 7 seed within the East. It is the primary time since March 5 that Orlando has been forward of Atlanta.
The Hawks, who’re 35-38 and No. 8 within the East, at the moment have two video games in hand. Bu, they’re at the moment behind Orlando because of the Magic having a barely higher successful share.
“There’s seven video games left – we have actually obtained to win all of them,” mentioned Goga Bitadze, who recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double Saturday. “It is a shut battle. We’d even make it out of the Play-in. Our job is to arrange for the playoffs, and we all know we have now to win the video games and get there, however we all know we’re a playoff workforce.
“All we attempt to do is simply win the video games. The mindset does not actually change for us.”
Orlando trails Milwaukee, who at the moment holds the sixth and closing assured playoff spot, by 5 video games.
In line with playoffstatus.com, the Magic have a 43 % likelihood to safe the No. 7 seed and 35 % shot on the No. 8 seed. Whereas not mathematically unimaginable to get as excessive because the 4-seed, the Orlando has a lower than 1 % likelihood to take action, the positioning says.
Two matchups stay between the Magic and Hawks this season – April 8 in Orlando and the common season finale on April 13 in Atlanta. They determine to be very important towards figuring out seeding and crowning a Southeast division champion.
If the Magic and Hawks end the common season with the identical document and are 2-2 versus each other, every workforce’s document versus the Southeast division is the primary tiebreaker used to find out seeding.
Seeds No. 7 by means of 10 in every convention compete for the ultimate two first-round playoff spots by means of the Play-In Match.
No. 7 hosts No. 8, with the winner dealing with the No. 2 seed within the first spherical of the playoffs, and the loser taking part in the No. 9-No. 10 matchup’s winner. The winner of the No.7/8 loser and No.9/10 winner will get the highest seed within the convention for his or her first-round playoff sequence.
For the newest on the present East Play-In image, click here.
The Magic will seem within the postseason for the second consecutive season after incomes the five-seed final yr, snapping a four-year drought from the playoffs. However, incomes a playoff sequence for a second straight season will probably have to return by means of the Play-In Match.
If that turns into the case, it might be Orlando’s first look within the Play-In because the present format was launched throughout the 2020-21 season.
Comply with ‘Orlando Magic on SI‘ on Fb and like our web page. Comply with Magic beat reporter Mason Williams on Twitter/X @mvsonwilliams. Additionally, bookmark our homepage so that you by no means miss a narrative.
