This isn’t a first or anything, but it is worth noting that tonight’s Raptors vs. Magic game features two teams in two very different emotional states. Both are staring down the end of the regular season, but one is doing so from high upon their perch in the East, and the other... is in ninth place.
For the past six seasons, the Orlando Magic had no hope of making the playoffs. Indeed, the way their roster was constructed, they had no hope of even topping 35 wins. Yet, here we are in 2019, year seven of their rebuild, and there’s the possibility that they’ll clear 40 wins and secure a spot in the post-season.