Magic Looking to Rise in Standings Against Wizards

The Orlando Magic (37-40) are heading to the nation’s capital to face the struggling Washington Wizards (17-59). The Magic will look to build on their recent success to climb in the standings.

Looking Back

In their last outing, the Magic were led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner with 24 points each in a win over the Spurs. The team’s defense, which is ranked 1st in the NBA in points allowed (105.7 PPG), held San Antonio to 105 points. Reliable role player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had an impressive 23 points.

https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/1907250223866372413

On the other hand, the Wizards picked up a 116-111 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Jordan Poole had a strong performance with 23 points. We also saw young sophomores AJ Johnson (19 points) and Tristan Vukčević (17 points) have strong performances.

What to Watch For

The Magic come into this game with a clear advantage over the Wizards. Orlando is sweeping the season series 3-0. As the Magic look to complete the sweep, their dynamic duo, Banchero and Wagner, will need to continue their strong play. Orlando has been effective both offensively and defensively, but they’ll need to maintain their consistency on the road.

For Washington, this game presents another challenge as they look to develop their young talent. Poole, who is averaging 20.6 points per game, remains the focal point of the offense. The Wizards will rely on him to keep the game competitive. They’ll also need contributions from their other players, like Alex Sarr and Malcolm Brogdon.

Orlando Looks to Secure Playoff Spot

With just seven regular season games left for the Magic, they look to get out of the play-in and secure a spot in the playoffs. This may seem difficult to do as they are five games behind the six-seeded Bucks (41-34). However, Bucks star, Damian Lillard is out for some time with blood clots.

Damian Lillard has been diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in his right calf and is out indefinitely

Lillard is on blood-thinning medication, which has stabilized the blood clot, and will continue with regular testing pic.twitter.com/0wlYbZl8hD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 26, 2025

As we hope Lillard recovers, we may see the Bucks lose some games as Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to carry the load. Orlando will need to win this game and future games to ensure a playoff spot.

What’s Next?

The Magic are looking to continue their solid play and get one step closer to the playoffs. The game against the Wizards is on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.