Orlando Magic Inches Closer to Playoffs with Win vs. New Orleans Pelicans

The Orlando Magic beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, clinching the season series and moving one step closer to a playoff berth.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 3, 2024

Apr 3, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) dribbles against / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is leaving the Big Easy on a happy flight following a 117-108 win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center.

While the Magic didn't start off the game firing on all cylinders, Orlando stayed in it and played by its principles. Eventually the Magic's hot shooting and strong defense propelled the team to a 20-point lead against the Pelicans.

Apr 3, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) reacts to a play / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans wouldn't go away quietly, cutting its deficit to single digits in the waning moments of the game, but the Pelicans would never get close enough to make the Magic profusely sweat.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 32, marking the first time he's reached that milestone since Feb. 14. It's the ninth time this season Banchero has scored at least 30 points. Wendell Carter Jr. notched his third consecutive double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

For the Pelicans, CJ McCollum led all scorers with 36 points while Zion Williamson added 15 of his own.

With the win, the Magic now sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, 0.5 game ahead of the New York Knicks. The team is in striking distance of the No. 3 seed with the Cleveland Cavaliers just one game ahead.

The Magic is back in action on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Published Apr 3, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.