With close to 60% of their campaign already in the books, it’s clear that the Magic’s eight wins to this point are going to leave them a long way from the playoff race as the regular season enters the home stretch. Instead of hoping to nudge their way into the play-in tournament they’ll be jostling at the back end of standings for ping pong balls.
These games will be defined by an inherent tension: a desire for the team to steal some victories while playing the role of spoiler, while also recognizing that it’s actually defeat that helps the long-term cause by improving the side’s lottery odds.