Nikola Vucevic Drops 25 as Magic Crush Trae Young, Hawks amid NBA Playoff Push
The Orlando Magic crushed the visiting Atlanta Hawks 149-113 at Amway Center on Friday night, putting an exclamation point on their final home game of the regular season and aiding their bid for a postseason berth.
The Magic entered Friday's action with a half-game lead over the Miami Heat for the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference. With the win, Orlando not only bumped a game-and-a-half over Miami but a half-game over the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons to land in the sixth seed.
All-Star center Nikola Vucevic, guard Evan Fournier and guard Terrence Ross each scored 25 points to bolster the Magic's efforts.
Meanwhile, Hawks rookie point guard Trae Young dropped 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists to pad his resume for NBA Rookie of the Year. Still, Magic point guard D.J. Augustin managed to fake him out:
Magic Won't Be a 1st-Round Stepping Stone
The Magic scored a franchise-best 81 points in the first half against the Hawks, which propelled Orlando to a .500 record for the first time since Dec. 4. It also marks the latest point of the regular season the Magic have been .500 since 2011-12, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Not so coincidentally, the Magic last made the postseason in 2011-12.
That year, Orlando was ousted by the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
However, assuming Orlando holds on and clinches, the Magic are not a lock to lose in the first round of the playoffs this season by any means.
First things first: The Magic are playing their best ball of the season at exactly the right time.
Orlando has won nine of its last 11 games, but the most important marks are its records against potential playoff opponents. There is plenty of shuffling that can still occur between now and Wednesday with sixth as the highest Orlando can seed.
As a No. 8 seed, Orlando would face the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks; as a seven, it would be the Toronto Raptors, and if the Magic somehow hold onto No. 6, they'll face the Philadelphia 76ers.
This season, Orlando is 2-2 against both Toronto and Philadelphia, while the only win against the Bucks came when Milwaukee's All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was out.
Within the last 11 games, the Magic have beaten the 76ers and Indiana Pacers but fell to the Raptors. What's most encouraging is the range of players making a difference from night to night.
Five different players served as leading scorers through March's slate of games. The Magic's bench has become reliable. The supporting cast from the bench has been led by Ross, who became the first player in NBA history to sink at least 200 three-pointers without starting a single game in one season.
The team's latest performance certainly gives reason to think it could upset someone in the first round, but it's also important to keep in mind that the Bucks (No. 1), Raptors (No. 5) and Sixers (No. 13) all hold significantly higher defensive ratings than the Hawks (27).
While it may be a stretch to pick outright for the Magic to win a postseason series, pushing a superior opponent throughout a series will be a significant building block for the Magic moving forward under first-year head coach Steve Clifford.
What's Next?
Orlando (40-40) will play at the Boston Celtics on Sunday evening before finishing the regular season against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
The Hawks (29-51) will travel to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday evening, and their season will end Wednesday night at home against the Indiana Pacers.
