The Orlando Magic have gone from outside looking into the 2019 NBA Playoffs to an unique opportunity to make the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Do not hold your breath.
But after a gutsy road win against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, the Orlando Magic find themselves with an unpredictable opportunity.
While the Magic are currently in sole possession of the last seed of this year’s Eastern Conference Playoffs, they have an opportunity to continue to climb the standings. Incredibly there is the real opportunity to finish sixth — as much as there is the chance the team misses the playoffs completely. This will make for a tense final 2.5 weeks of the season.
The Orlando Magic play the Detroit Pistons tonight. A win would vault the Magic over the Pistons for seventh place in the Eastern Conference by a half game. The Orlando Magic also trail the Brooklyn Nets by just a single game entering Thursday night’s action. The Brooklyn Nets play the Philadelphia 76ers.
Orlando could realistically end Thursday tied for sixth. As things stand now, position six and 10 are separated by only 2.5 games. It is an incredibly packed group.
This opportunity to climb up could play a huge factor for the Magic.
Making the final seed is impressive, but nobody is picking them to upset the Milwaukee Bucks, a team who some analysts and pundits peg as the best challenge to the Golden State Warriors’ dominance over the league. It is a fair question at this point. The Bucks are on pace to win 60 games and will likely clinch homecourt for the entirety of the playoffs.
Orlando’s only win over Milwaukee came with Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the lineup.
Making the seventh seed is even more impressive, and the Magic have a realistic chance if they beat the Pistons and gain that cushion.
This would put them in position to face the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. Toronto has been up and down throughout the season as they managed Kawhi Leonard‘s health and now integrate Marc Gasol into the lineup. But Toronto is no joke at 52 wins already. The Raptors have playoff demons to shake but remain a dangerous team.
However, Orlando has matched up well with them. The Magic have won two of three matchups so far. The only loss coming on a buzzer beater from Danny Green. And one of the wins coming without Leonard on the floor. This Monday’s game between the Magic and Raptors may end up becoming a playoff preview.
But there is a chance for more. Making the sixth seed would be an enormous success for the franchise. The Magic actually have a chance if they can continue to keep this winning streak alive.
To do so the Magic will have to continue to get consistent help offensively from the “others” in the starting lineup. A lot of the success recently has been because Evan Fournier has had a few break out performances. Fournier had seven assists against the 76ers and is averaging 17.5 points per game on 51.9 percent shooting in his last six games.
But more importantly than their recent success is their opportunity for future success.
The Magic have an opportunity to climb even further up the standings if they continue their winning ways. They actually have an opportunity to get the sixth seed if everything goes right.
Right now the Nets hold the sixth seed at 38-37. They have the most difficult remaining schedule in the league according to Tankathon with games against the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks (twice) and the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat.
The Pistons are right behind them in seventh at 37-37. But if the Magic continue their winning streak against the Pistons they will have a good opportunity to sneak up the rankings.
The Pistons have lost three out of their last four games on a tough West Coast road trip. But they still have a tough schedule ahead of them. They still have to face the Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers (twice), Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies and the New York Knicks.
The Magic just need to take care of business and everything will take care of itself. Even with their own difficult schedule ahead — the Pacers and Raptors close out this road trip and a closing trip to face the Celtics and the red-hot Hornets will be tough too.
This has already been a year most fans did not expect. The Magic are fighting for a Playoff spot this late in the year. But now the fans in Orlando have something you talk about in March and April.
The Magic have had ups and downs, plenty moments in the past that made fans question if the could even win 35 games. And then there were moments when fans may think this could be a 50-win team. Either way, the Magic exceeded everyone’s expectation of who they were.
And they want more. They should fight for more.
It would have been blasphemous for anyone to say the Magic would make the sixth seed in this year’s Eastern Conference Playoffs at the beginning of the year. But the Magic can make the sixth seed as we sit here with seven games left.
Steve Clifford and his staff deserve more national credit from the media for this six-game winning streak. They have had one of the truly great turnarounds in the league this year.
But even without that superstar, the Magic find themselves in a peculiar position to matchup against the 76ers in the first round instead of the Bucks or Raptors. That is something they should fight for.
They were able to tie the season series up at 2-2 with the 76ers on Monday and both losses came down to the final two minutes.
There is still a lot to play for this season for the Magic. And a lot to gain. Orlando certainly should feel greedy about its chances.