For the Magic of OrlandoIt’s time to win – and it hasn’t happened like this in a dozen years.
At least, not to this extent.
With their 121-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, the Magic are 42-28. With just 12 games left, they have secured a winning record.
And yes, this is only the second time in 12 years that they can say this. Most important for this year’s team is as they enter the final weeks of the regular season.
Through Thursday, the Magic had won 18 of 23.
All-Star center/forward Paolo Banchero, of course, is one of the main reasons for this. He finished the win against New Orleans with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
“I just try to let the game come to me,” Banchero told reporters. “I tried to communicate with my passing. I just wanted to keep finding guys.
Interestingly, Banchero missed his first 10 shots, including two free throws, before finishing 9 of 18 from the floor.
So he looked a lot like that Magic team all season – never down for long and showing an ability to bounce back when all else seems lost.
Barring a major basketball catastrophe, the Magic are headed back to the playoffs. And it’s not something they’ve said often over the past decade. But clearly, these aren’t the same old Orlando Magic.
