We know the Cleveland Cavaliers’ win streak was snapped. We also know that the Magic have dealt with multiple injuries this year. Between the oblique injuries Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner suffered to the season-ending injuries to Mo Wagner and Jalen Suggs, several of the Magic’s best players missed significant time.
The Magic have weathered the storm and have stayed in the top eight of the Eastern Conference by playing great defense. But who thought the Magic could beat the best team in the Eastearn Conference without a full roster? More specifically, without two of their best players—Jalen Suggs and Mo Wagner are still sidelined.
What makes this interesting is that if the Magic were able to snap the Cavaliers’ winning streak on the road, why wouldn't they be able to compete in a playoff matchup? This was the first time the Magic have beaten the Cavaliers in their own building since February 22, 2024. In that game, Mo Wagner poured in 22 points off the bench and Jalen Suggs added seven.
It showed that the two role players were needed in that road win in 2024, but a year can make a huge difference as the Magic handed Cleveland a loss without those two critical pieces. The Magic grew up fast and are in a great groove at this point of the year. But what does it all mean?
The Magic lost all of their road games in last year's playoff matchup, even with Wagner and Suggs playing. The two of them will not be available for this year’s postseason but winning games without them can give the team a new level of confidence.
The Magic got a big win despite missing two of their most important players
Although Wagner and Suggs are the two spark plugs for the team, Banchero and Wagner provided plenty of energy in a decisive road win against one of the NBA's best. The duo of Banchero and Wagner was able to outshine Cleveland's duo despite Donovan Mitchell’s and Darius Garland's performances.
Anthony Black's energy and aggressiveness on both sides of the ball also help out. He will be critical to the Magic's success, as he finished the game with 17 points, three rebounds, and two assists off the bench. He has supplied the team with leadership, youthfulness, and consistency on the defensive side of the ball.
So, what did we learn from the Magic's stunning victory besides that the national media will talk about them when they beat the top NBA teams? (The Magic’s win over the Cavaliers even made First Take)
We learned that if the national media considers Donovan Mitchell a superstar, they have to consider Paolo Banchero the same. We also learned that Franz Wagner is no longer thinking about his poor performance in Game 6 against the Cavaliers last year. We also learned that if Banchero and Wagner play well consistently on both sides of the ball, the Orlando Magic will be a legitimate threat and a tough out once the postseason begins.