It's win and in: Every Orlando Magic postseason scenario entering the final day

Every Orlando Magic Playoff Scenario for the Final Game

If the Orlando Magic Win...

Who they face and what seed they are is not so important right now. The Magic just have to win. If they do not, they will need some help and the odds of them going to the Play-In Tournament increase greatly.

Those are the details that we will fill in here. Where the Magic finish ultimately depends on results in other games. But a win would essentially lock the Magic into the 5-seed in all likelihood.

A loss would likely mean the Magic are going on the road for the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday (or Wednesday if the Philadelphia 76ers land in the 7-seed). That is what is truly on the line Sunday afternoon.

If that chart is hard to read, then we can simplify it in text here:

1. The Orlando Magic finish as the 5-seed if:

Orlando Magic DEFEAT the Milwaukee Bucks AND
Indiana Pacers DEFEAT the Atlanta Hawks

OR

Magic DEFEAT the Bucks AND
Pacers LOSE to the Hawks AND
76ers LOSE to the Nets

(Orlando Magic play Milwaukee Bucks if New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers win;
Magic play Cavs if Cavs lose;
Magic play Knicks if Knicks lose and Cavs win)

It is best to think of the Pacers and their game against the Hawks as the Magic's protection against the Sixers. Orlando lost all three games to Philadelphia this year so they lose any head-to-head tiebreaker with Philadelphia.

However, if the Magic win, they clinch the Southeast Division. In a three-way tiebreaker, the division winner is the first tiebreaker. So the Magic would win any three-way tiebreaker with the Pacers and Sixers.

A win is that important. The Magic would only fall to the 6-seed in this scenario if the Pacers lose and the Sixers win.

2. The Orlando Magic finish as 6-seed if:

Orlando Magic DEFEAT Milwaukee Bucks AND
Indiana Pacers LOSE to Atlanta Hawks AND
Philadelphia 76ers DEFEAT Brooklyn Nets

(Orlando Magic play Cleveland Cavaliers if New York Knicks AND Cavs win;
Magic play Bucks if only one of Knicks OR Cavs win;
Magic play Knicks if Cavs AND Knicks lose)

But winning is the thing. Orlando can rest a bit easier with a victory. Everything is less complicated with a win.

That is easier said than done.

The Magic lost to the Bucks earlier this week at Fiserv Forum with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton out of the lineup. Antetokounmpo will again miss Sunday's game but Middleton should be back in the lineup.

The Milwaukee Bucks need a win to maintain the 2-seed with the New York Knicks catching them and the Cleveland Cavaliers sitting one game behind them. There is a lot on the line.

The Magic's game against the Bucks is the only game in the Eastern Conference (all games Sunday tip off at 1 p.m.) with two teams who are both playing for playoff positioning.

For what it is worth, as of 1:30 p.m., FanDuel had the Magic as five-point favorites in the game.

With how much the Bucks are struggling, how good the Magic are at home and everything that is on the line, the Magic truly feel they have a lot in their hands on Sunday afternoon.

"Our ability to control our own destiny still, understanding how we need to continue to play," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Friday's loss. "One, start the game the right way, Two, take care of the basketball and share the basketball. Three, we have to make sure we get our defensive identity the right way. That is three straight games we have given up 115-plus. That's not who we are. We'll get back to the drawing board in terms of how we need to defend to push this in the right direction."

Things get very messy and very nervy should the Magic lose on Sunday.