Orlando, FL – In what was supposed to be a marquee matchup with Orlando hoping to leapfrog Milwaukee in the standing, the Magic fell short against the Bucks, all but ruining their hopes to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs. With just two games remaining in the regular season, every night carries significant weight, making this 117-99 defeat a heartbreaking shift of momentum.
The absence of key Magic contributor Franz Wagner proved to be more costly than expected. The offense was stagnant, with player looking lost on many possessions and made shots were hard to come by for the team. Orlando’s glimmer of hope came from the performance of Cole Anthony, who delivered an impressive showing with 23 points on efficient 64.3% shooting from the field, including a 75% clip from beyond the arc.
Anthony’s stellar outing wasn’t enough to offset the lackluster performances from several players in the rotation. Wendell Carter Jr. and Caleb Houstan struggled to find their rhythm, shooting a combined 3-14 from the field and failing to provide the energy and production required in such a crucial game. While Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero turned in respectable performances, their efforts were ultimately overshadowed by the team’s overall inconsistency and inability to match the intensity of their opponents.
Defensively, the Magic struggled to contain the Bucks’ relentless offensive attack, allowing Bobby Portis to erupt for 30 points, in place of the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Damian Lillard to chip in with 29 points of his own. As a result of the lack of intensity and effort, Orlando was unable to contain Milwaukee’s well-rounded offensive game, allowing five different players on the home side to get double digits and falling short of the team’s goal of being elite defensively.
As the playoff picture begins to take shape itself and become clearer, the Magic’s inexperience is coming out. With other Eastern teams, such as the Knicks, Heat, Cavs, and 76ers beginning to find their footing while Orlando continues to slide, these last two games can look ugly if the team can’t turn the momentum back around, going from a potential two seed all the way down to a play-in contender. Friday’s matchup in Philadephia, coupled with other games around the East, will be a fair indicator of where the Magic will end up on the standings
