Magic’s postseason positioning imperiled
It was all hands on deck for the Magic on Friday night at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
And for good reason.
Unfortunately for the Magic, they lost 125-113 to finish their trip at 0-3 going into Sunday’s 1 p.m. regular-season finale at home against Milwaukee.
A victory over the 76ers would have provided Orlando a playoff spot (top 6 seed) in the East and its first Southeast Division title since 2019.
The Magic (46-35), despite the return to the starting lineup of third-year forward Franz Wagner (right ankle sprain) and veteran guard Gary Harris (right foot injury maintenance), couldn’t contain Philadelphia (46-35) and Joel Embiid, who scored 32 points.
Guard Tyrese Maxey added 28 points for Philadelphia and Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 21.
The 76ers hold the season tie-breaker over the Magic, but Orlando can still secure a top 6 spot by winning Sunday against the Bucks.
A top 6 seed locks in a playoff berth. Nos. 7-10 in each conference compete in the Play-In for the Nos. 7 and 8 spots in the postseason.
Wagner (24 points) had missed last the two games due to an ankle sprain while the Magic fell to 3-7 without him on the floor this season. Harris didn’t play Wednesday at Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back due to injury maintenance.
Orlando’s starting lineup of guard Jalen Suggs (20 points), Harris, Wagner, forward Paolo Banchero (22 points) and center Wendell Carter Jr., which has become the regular first five since the All-Star break, entered Friday’s contest 14-2 — a team best.
Wagner helps take the load off Banchero and can be mixed into different lineups with Orlando’s bench unit as well.
Averaging 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.03 steals during 32.4 minutes in 70 games, Wagner has led (or tied) the team in scoring 22 times, in rebounding 10 times and in assists 15 times.
“Defensively he’s been great this year,” coach Jamahl Mosley said before tip-off about Wagner, “taking on all challenges [and] being able to guard specific guys when we change rotation.
“Then offensively, [it’s] just his ability to create shots for others [when] teams load up on him trying to keep him away from the basket. So that opens up a lot of perimeter shooting. Then [it’s] his ability to make those decisions to get those guys the ball.”
As Wagner and Harris were available and started for Orlando, so did All-NBA center Embiid (left knee injury recovery) and point guard Kyle Lowry (left knee effusion) for Philadelphia.
The Magic, who entered Friday’s contest having lost three of their last four games, didn’t seem to mind the added pressure of the final two games of the regular season with postseason seeding on the line.
In fact, they embrace it.
“It allows this group to figure out what they need to do [in the] postseason, how to play, your preparation, your focus, your intensity and your intentionality in everything that you do,” Mosley said. “For our group especially, it’s preparing them for exactly what they’re going to face moving forward.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
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