Orlando Magic are just one win away from escaping the Play-In

BOSTON -- For several months, Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley has had one message for his team as they struggled to meet expectations but still eyed a way to climb the standings: Take everything one game at a time.

That is good advice.

It is easy, particularly in a tight playoff chase, to get lost in the big picture. Every Magic fan has been going through a web of possibilities for the team's finish, trying to figure out where the team will begin its postseason journey.

Now, it is truly about one game at a time. There is only one game remaining. There is only that last opportunity to control.

And there is only one focus for the Magic regardless of what else can happen:

"Just try to get a win," Franz Wagner said after Friday's win over the Chicago Bulls. "Keep working on our stuff. And then we'll see how the rankings are."

"Go get a win," Jevon Carter said in the locker room after Friday's win. "Take care of business. Control what we can. Stay together through moments of adversity because it's going to get tough."

"We've got to do what we've go to do to win a basketball game," Jamal Cain said after Friday's win.

It is indeed time to win the only game remaining. Even though the results and where the Magic might begin their postseason is much clearer, it is still about one thing. The same thing it has always been about.

But there is also no more denying what is at stake and what could happen. A win on Sunday sets the Magic up to avoid the Play-In and give them some measure of progress beyond an improved record over last season despite everything.

The Playoff Scenarios

Despite how complicated the chart the NBA sent out Saturday afternoon may seem, the scenarios are quite simple heading into the Orlando Magic's game against the Boston Celtics:

With a win on Sunday, the Magic are guaranteed to finish no worse than seventh in the Eastern Conference, hosting the 7/8 Play-In Game on Tuesday at Kia Center.

With a win and a Toronto Raptors loss to the Brooklyn Nets, the Orlando Magic would climb out of the Play-In and finish sixth, setting up a first-round playoff series with the New York Knicks.

The Nets, for their part, have already clinched the top odds in the NBA Draft Lottery and cannot fall out of the bottom three in the league with a win.

A Magic loss makes things much trickier.

If the Orlando Magic lose and the Philadelphia 76ers win, the Magic would tumble to eighth to play the Sixers if the Toronto Raptors win or to play the Raptors if the Raptors lose their game.

The Magic would remain seventh with a loss and a Sixers loss, hosting the Sixers in the Play-In Tournament.

The Philadelphia 76ers host the Milwaukee Bucks in their finale.

At the end of the day, the Magic know they have one task to do: Win the game.

"We've got to handle our business," Jalen Suggs said in the locker room after Friday's win. "Going in, continue doing the things we've been doing, move the ball, have fun with the game, and stay intentional about what we're working for and what we're getting ready to step into. Whatever shakes out shakes out. It's more important to focus on what we've got going on and what we're working toward."

The Magic may get some further good news too.

Both Jonathan Isaac (left knee strain) and Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) were upgraded to QUESTIONABLE after missing the majority of this five-game win streak.

The Celtics, locked into the 3-seed, will sit Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Neemias Queta. Rotation regulars Payton Pritchard, Nikola Vucevic and Sam Hauser are also DOUBTFUL.

Orlando will once again be playing a team sitting many of its regulars. That is an open opportunity to control their own destiny.

One game at a time

The Orlando Magic are trying to play their best basketball as they head into the Playoffs.

The team has indeed taken advantage of a soft spot in the schedule to win five games and try to win a sixth straight to move out of the Play-In Tournament. The team has beaten two postseason-bound teams in that run, but the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons were both without many of their starters in the Orlando Magic's victories.

The Magic are doing their best to play the opponent in front of them and focus on themselves.

They have done that with several blowout victories and even a gutsy comeback against the New Orleans Pelicans last week.

In all, the Magic have posted a 120.4 offensive rating and 107.2 defensive rating to feast on these weaker opponents during the last five games.

That is not something the Magic have done well throughout this season. It is the most consistent they have played and they are rolling thanks to an offense that is moving and sharing the ball a lot more effectively.

This is a team playing together and playing with a lot more confidence.

But there is still one more game to play. Regardless of who the Boston Celtics have available, the Orlando Magic need the same unselfishness and focus that has gotten them to this point.

"I think the way we've been sharing it, you look at 33 assists tonight, I think that's big," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Friday's win. "We've been doing a great job of that. We take care of it against a great defensive Boston team. And how do we guard them? The difference is they get to the paint, and they shoot the three. So we have to make sure our defense is tight, our communication is at a high level, and are we playing with the same energy and spirit for 48 minutes?"

The Magic still have a lot to focus on and do in their final game.

If Orlando can somehow escape the Play-In, it would be considered a major victory for a group that was left for dead a week ago. The Magic are indeed in a better spot heading into the postseason one way or the other.