The Magic put together a successful season in 2023-24, winning 47 games. Despite that success, there are a few teams they struggled against. Some teams have just had the Magic’s number, dominating the recent head-to-head matchups.
Fortunately, the Magic and the young core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs are only continuing to improve. So, the 2024-25 season will offer plenty of chances for the Magic to break their losing streaks against certain teams and get some revenge.
The Philadelphia 76ers
The Magic have not done well playing against the Philadelphia 76ers recently. Out of the last 10 games against the team, Orlando only won one. In the 2023-24 season, the Magic lost all three matchups against the 76ers and are currently on a four-game losing streak against Philadelphia. The season prior, they won only one of four games.
The first game against the 76ers in the 2024-25 season will take place on November 15 in an NBA Cup game. After that, the Magic will get three more chances to get revenge on the 76ers.
The Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks and Trae Young may not have lived up to expectations in the last few seasons but they have dominated against the Orlando Magic. The Hawks won six of the last eight matchups against the Magic. Over the past two seasons, the Magic won one of the four games in each season and are currently on a two-game losing streak against the Hawks.
The 2024-25 season should present an opportunity for the Magic to change that. They are projected to be the better team and will get a first chance to prove that on February 10. Most of the Magic’s matchups against the Hawks are late in the season and will have implications for the playoff race.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are still regarded as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference due to the star power they assembled with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. In the last 10 games against the Magic, the Bucks certainly looked like the better team, securing 8 wins. That includes three losses in the last five games. The Magic have already fared noticeably better against the Bucks last season. While they lost all matchups against the Bucks in 2022-23, they tied the season series in 2023-24.
On January 10, the Magic will get their first chance to establish a winning streak against Milwaukee and get revenge for a rough last ten games.
Miami Heat
It seems you can never count out the Miami Heat. The Magic learned that lesson the hard way, losing 7 of the last 10 games against the Heat. In both of the last two seasons, the Magic only won one of the four matchups against the Heat. Miami may not have performed incredibly well in the regular season lately, but they have consistently beaten the Magic.
The Magic will start the new regular season against the Miami Heat on October 23, marking the first chance for Orlando to get revenge. After that, they will face each other three more times.
Sacramento Kings
Since the Kings and Magic are in different conferences, they don’t face each other often each season. As a result, the Magic’s losing streak against the Kings stretches over several seasons. Orlando has not won an NBA game against Sacramento in the past three seasons, losing six consecutive games. Last season, the two teams looked pretty evenly matched. The Magic struggled offensively, while the Kings struggled defensively. Both games were close, but the Kings managed to get away with the wins.
It is time that the Magic end this losing streak in 2024-25. The first chance to do just that will present itself on February 5.