The Orlando Magic kept their postseason positioning hopes alive Friday night with a convincing 127–103 victory over the Chicago Bulls, extending their winning streak to five games and moving into a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with one regular-season game remaining.
Franz Wagner led the way with 25 points, Jamal Cain added 20, and Orlando (45–36) capitalized on a key Toronto loss to New York earlier in the evening to pull even with the Raptors in the standings as the race to avoid the play-in tournament tightened heading into the season’s final day.
Paolo Banchero contributed a near all-around gem with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the Magic continued their late-season surge at the perfect time.
After building a modest 64–53 halftime lead behind Wagner’s 14 first-half points, Orlando seized control in the third quarter thanks to Jalen Suggs’ perimeter shooting burst.
Suggs scored all 12 of his points in the period, knocking down four three-pointers. Three of those came in a rapid 2:49 stretch, with the third pushing the Magic lead to 80–61 with just over seven minutes left in the quarter. From there, Orlando never looked back.
The Magic’s balanced offense and defensive pressure turned the game into a runaway by the fourth quarter, allowing them to cruise to their fifth straight win as playoff stakes intensified.
Tre Jones paced Chicago with 23 points, while Leonard Miller added 15 points and seven rebounds. Matas Buzelis scored 14 after missing three games due to illness but exited in the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle and was uncertain about traveling for the season finale Sunday in Dallas.
The loss dropped Chicago to 31–50, marking the franchise’s first 50-loss season since the 2018–19 campaign. The defeat also capped a turbulent week for the organization following the firing of executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley. Additional changes could be coming, with questions surrounding head coach Billy Donovan’s future after six seasons.
Josh Giddey remained sidelined for a fourth consecutive game with a strained left hamstring and will also miss the finale against the Mavericks.
Orlando established control early behind Wagner’s aggressive scoring and steady ball movement, then tightened its grip with Suggs’ third-quarter shooting barrage. Cain’s energy scoring off the bench provided another boost as the Magic continued to showcase their depth during their late push up the standings.
With one game left, Orlando’s postseason fate remains in play—but momentum is firmly on its side.
The Magic close the regular season Sunday on the road against Boston with sixth place still within reach. The Bulls wrap up their season Sunday at Dallas as they look ahead to an offseason likely filled with major organizational decisions.
