5 most important stretches of Orlando Magic’s 2024 season
![Markelle Fultz charged the Orlando Magic to a win over the Chicago Bulls as their play-in chase gets more real. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Markelle Fultz charged the Orlando Magic to a win over the Chicago Bulls as their play-in chase gets more real. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/83c6d86aa605d41e92f5925d00e75f8263f63c2dd01ff04df3225fe577e96118.jpg)
5 most important stretches of the Orlando Magic’s season
A Rough Close (April 3-14)
April 3: at New Orleans
April 5: at Charlotte
April 7: vs. Chicago
April 9: at Houston
April 10: at Milwaukee
April 12: at Philadelphia
April 14: vs. Milwaukee
When there is a long homestand, there is another shoe that will always drop. A road trip is on the horizon.
And this is why performing well on the eight-game homestand is so critical.
Especially since we expect the chase for the Eastern Conference playoffs to be so tight. The Orlando Magic need every win they can get.
The Magic will close their season with five of their final seven games on the road. One of those home games could be a critical matchup with the Chicago Bulls — tiebreakers may matter, or they may not.
The season ends with the insane Houston-to-Milwaukee back-to-back. And a three-game finish with two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference in Milwaukee (twice) and Philadelphia.
Maybe that last game will not have meaning for the Bucks and could be a free game for the Magic to take if they need it. Still, the prospect of needing a win over the Bucks on the final day of the season feels a bit leery.
This should bring everything back full circle.
Orlando needs to be playing from ahead and hold the pole position for whatever postseason spot the team ends up with. It is going to be hard to make up ground in these final seven games, even with a manageable start to this segment of games.
The Magic’s road ahead is going to be a major challenge. There are not a lot of pockets for the Magic to get their feet under them. Not until the eight-game homestand. There are a lot of challenges.
It only feels like a challenge though because so much of the Magic is unproven. Orlando could easily be up for the challenge. The team may not have a choice if it wants to achieve its goals of reaching the postseason.
Orlando certainly hopes that by the time they reach the end of the season, they are playing at a high level and who they play matters less than how they themselves are playing.
Next. Franz Wagner can be a star if he takes it. dark
That is what matters most for winning teams. You worry less about your opponents and worry more about the consistent way you play. That is the level the Magic are trying to reach.
This schedule will challenge them to level up in that way.