The Orlando Magic find their season hanging by a thread after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, 109-97.
The Orlando Magic on Wednesday fell to the Philadelphia 76ers, 109-97 in the No. 7/No. 8 Eastern Conference matchup of the NBA Play-In Tournament. Here is what went wrong for the Magic.
Banchero and Wagner Fall Short
When their team needed them the most, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner could not consistently deliver.
After going 7-22 and 0-5 from 3-point range with six turnovers in Sunday’s loss to the Boston Celtics that forced the Magic into the eighth seed, Banchero replicated his inefficient shooting night and inability to take care of the ball against the 76ers by once again shooting 7-22 from the floor and 0-5 from deep with six turnovers. He finished the night with 18 points in 36 minutes.
Wagner was also quiet, as he took only 11 shots and hit five of them for 12 points. He was also hurt with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter after colliding knees with Wendell Carter Jr. He would limp off the floor before returning to the floor with 40 seconds remaining.
Desmond Bane’s Effort Not Enough
When offense was hard to come by for his team, Desmond Bane continued to find a way to score time and time again.
However, it did not matter.
Bane scored a game-high 34 points on 10-16 shooting from the field and 4-6 from the perimeter in his 83rd start of the season. In the third quarter, he manufactured a 6-0 run on his own to help close what was once an 11-point deficit.
By the fourth quarter, Bane had notched 28 points while shooting 8-11 from the field and 10-11 from the free throw line. But in the final period, he could not keep up the same level of production.
A Bad Evening From 3
At 34.3%, the Magic entered Wednesday’s contest with the 27th-ranked 3-point percentage in the league, and their struggles from the perimeter did not do them any favors inside Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Orlando shot just 7-27 from beyond the arc, the equivalent of 25.9%.
Turnovers
Much like their struggles from the perimeter throughout the season, the Magic have also struggled with turnovers.
Orlando tied with the Atlanta Hawks for 10th in the NBA in turnovers allowed at 14.2 per game, and the 76ers took advantage.
The Magic allowed 15 turnovers, a number that was matched in points by the 76ers. Meanwhile, Philadelphia had 11 turnovers for 11 points.
What Now?
With Wednesday’s loss, Orlando’s season is officially on life support.
The Magic will return home to the Kia Center to host the No. 9 Charlotte Hornets in a do-or-die scenario. A win secures the eight seed for Orlando and sets up a first-round date with the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. A loss ends its season.
After winning the first contest of the regular season against Charlotte, the Magic proceeded to lose to the Hornets in each of the following three meetings, with each defeat coming by double digits.
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