Magic Road Trip Leads to Surprising Power Rankings Spot

The Orlando Magic are on the West Coast to start the second half of the season and may have had mixed results in the first three games of their post-All-Star break schedule.

The Magic blew out the Sacramento Kings before facing the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers over the weekend in a pair of close games. While they lost to the Suns in double overtime, they beat the Clips in a game that came down to the final shot. NBA.com writer John Schuhmann took all of the data, but kept the Magic at No. 17 in his latest power rankings.

"After opening their four-game trip out West by outscoring the Kings by 36 points (51-15) over the last 17 minutes on Thursday, the Magic played a couple of thrillers in which their fate came down to an opponent’s 3-point attempt that was in the air as the buzzer sounded. Jalen Green made his 3 for the win on Saturday, but Bennedict Mathurin missed his the following night, and the Magic split the two games," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Magic have split their first two games (both in Detroit) with the first-place Pistons, a potential playoff opponent. They’ll have two more meetings in the regular season, with the first coming in Orlando on Sunday."

Magic Stay Level in Power Rankings

Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane shoots the ball against LA Clippers center Yanic Konan Niederhauser. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In terms of Eastern Conference teams, the Magic ranked behind the Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons.

As the Magic chase a top six spot in the conference, they have to find ways to improve in close games. Their loss against the Suns is proof that small details can make or break a season, but they were able to correct their course against the Clips.

"Even with their 37-point win in Sacramento, the Magic are just 12-16 (10th best in the East) in games that weren’t within five points in the last five minutes. With their weekend split, they’re 18-10 (fifth best overall) in the clutch, even though they rank in the bottom 10 in clutch offense," Schuhmann wrote.

The Magic will finish their road trip tomorrow, and they take on LeBron James. Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers tip off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET inside Crypto.com Arena. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.