Top 10 games of the Orlando Magic's 2024 season

7. April 14, 2024: Win and In

Everyone could feel the nerves on the morning of the final day of the regular season. The stakes were pretty clear for the Orlando Magic, considering who their closest competition was playing. They needed a win to clinch a spot in the Playoffs and likely finish fifth. A loss would have sent them tumbling to the Play-In Tournament, and likely heading on the road.

For the first time in a long time, there was a lot of pressure placed on this young team and nobody knew how they would perform with so much on the line.

The struggles through the last week of the season—three straight losses on the road to the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers—put the Orlando Magic in this precarious position.

It all came down to the final game against the Bucks at Kia Center. And the Bucks seemed like they were going for the win to try to secure the 2-seed. They came out and took the lead too, putting the Magic on the ropes.

But Orlando responded. All that nervous energy got converted into a celebratory afternoon in the regular season finale as the Magic clinched their playoff spot.

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner combined for 51 points as the Magic's defense slowly stifled the Bucks' offense. Orlando outscored Milwaukee 25-12 in the second quarter to seize control of the game. The Magic then turned the second half into a pure celebration of the season as a whole.

There was never a doubt in the end. The Magic were headed to the Playoffs.