Basketball <\/p>\n
ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013\u2013 The Orlando Magic will officially play postseason basketball in 2025.<\/p>\n
By virtue of the Magic’s dominating victory<\/a> over the Sacramento Kings Saturday night, Orlando has clinched a top-10 seed in the Eastern Conference. Orlando now knows that, at the very least, it will play in the Play-In Tournament once the regular season finishes.<\/p>\n But, with seven games left in the regular season and plenty to still be determined seeding-wise, the Magic aren’t caught up in any sort of celebration.<\/p>\n “We’re not done, and that’s what we have to continue to focus on,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said after Saturday’s result. “One game at a time.”<\/p>\n “We’ve got the Clippers coming in here, our focus needs to be on [them] now and understand exactly what we need to do for that game at home.<\/p>\n However, after a season filled with plenty of ups and downs, the Magic have security that they won’t be done playing after all 82 regular season games have concluded.<\/p>\n “That’s what you work for all season,” said Paolo Banchero, who scored 24 points to lead the Magic in victory Saturday. “We’ve dealt with a lot of injuries and stuff throughout the year, so just the fact that we’re going to be in the postseason, no one is taking it for granted.<\/p>\n “I think everyone’s excited and just want to finish these last seven games out strong and put ourselves in the best position heading into the postseason.”<\/p>\n The Magic, now 36-39, currently occupy the No. 7 seed in the East. It’s the first time since March 5 that Orlando has been ahead of Atlanta.<\/p>\n The Hawks, who are 35-38 and No. 8 in the East, currently have two games in hand. Bu, they are currently behind Orlando due to the Magic having a slightly better winning percentage.<\/p>\n “There’s seven games left \u2013 we’ve really got to win them all,” said Goga Bitadze, who recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double Saturday. “It’s a close battle. We might even make it out of the Play-in. Our job is to prepare for the playoffs, and we know we have to win the games and get there, but we know we’re a playoff team.<\/p>\n “All we try to do is just win the games. The mindset doesn’t really change for us.”<\/p>\n Orlando trails Milwaukee, who currently holds the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot, by five games.<\/p>\n According to playoffstatus.com<\/a>, the Magic have a 43 percent chance to secure the No. 7 seed and 35 percent shot at the No. 8 seed. While not mathematically impossible to get as high as the 4-seed, the Orlando has a less than 1 percent chance to do so, the site says.<\/p>\n Two matchups remain between the Magic and Hawks this season \u2013 April 8 in Orlando and the regular season finale on April 13 in Atlanta. They figure to be vital toward determining seeding and crowning a Southeast division champion.<\/p>\n If the Magic and Hawks finish the regular season with the same record and are 2-2 versus one another, each team’s record versus the Southeast division is the first tiebreaker used to determine seeding.<\/p>\n Seeds No. 7 through 10 in each conference compete for the final two first-round playoff spots through the Play-In Tournament. <\/p>\n No. 7 hosts No. 8, with the winner facing the No. 2 seed in the first round of the playoffs, and the loser playing the No. 9-No. 10 matchup’s winner. The winner of the No.7\/8 loser and No.9\/10 winner gets the top seed in the conference for their first-round playoff series.<\/p>\n For the latest on the current East Play-In picture, <\/em>click here.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The Magic will appear in the postseason for the second consecutive season after earning the five-seed last year, snapping a four-year drought from the playoffs. But, earning a playoff series for a second straight season will likely have to come through the Play-In Tournament.<\/p>\n If that becomes the case, it would be Orlando’s first appearance in the Play-In since the current format was introduced during the 2020-21 season.<\/p>\n Follow ‘Orlando Magic on SI<\/strong><\/a>‘ on Facebook and like our page. Follow Magic beat reporter Mason Williams on Twitter\/X\u00a0@mvsonwilliams<\/strong><\/a>. Also, bookmark our\u00a0homepage<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0so you never miss a story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n