The Orlando Magic continued their late-season push toward playoff positioning Wednesday night, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 132–120 in their home finale behind a balanced offensive performance and a decisive third-quarter run.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Desmond Bane added 18 points and six assists as the Magic extended their winning streak to four games. Franz Wagner chipped in 17 points, and center Goga Bitadze delivered a dominant effort off the bench with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
The victory lifted Orlando to 44–36 on the season and into seventh place in the tightly packed Eastern Conference standings, keeping alive the possibility of finishing anywhere from sixth to ninth with two road games remaining.
Minnesota was led by rookie guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who exploded for a career-high 33 points in an impressive performance despite the loss. Jaden McDaniels returned from a six-game absence due to a left knee injury and contributed 18 points in just 19 minutes.
The contest was competitive early, with both teams trading baskets before Orlando seized momentum late in the second quarter. With the score tied at 47–47, Wagner scored twice during a key stretch that helped the Magic close the half on a 16–6 run and take a 63–53 lead into the break.
Orlando carried that energy into the third quarter, where Jalen Suggs sparked a decisive 22–6 burst. Suggs connected on a pair of 3-pointers and added a driving layup during the run as the Magic stretched the advantage to as many as 24 points. That surge proved to be the turning point of the night.
Shannon did everything he could to keep Minnesota within reach. He poured in 29 of his 33 points after halftime, knocking down five of seven shots from beyond the arc and finishing an efficient 11-of-14 from the field overall while also adding five assists.
Despite his standout effort, the Timberwolves couldn’t overcome Orlando’s offensive efficiency. The Magic shot a sizzling 53.7% from the field in the victory and controlled the glass behind Bitadze’s strong interior presence.
Minnesota was also short-handed. Star guard Anthony Edwards missed the game with a right knee injury, while Julius Randle sat out his first game of the season and Rudy Gobert missed his fifth. Several starters from Tuesday’s win at Indiana—which clinched a Western Conference playoff berth—were unavailable as well.
With momentum building at the right time, the Magic now head into their final two regular-season games knowing their playoff positioning remains fluid. A strong finish could still move them out of the play-in range and into a guaranteed playoff spot. Timberwolves will be in Houston on Friday night, and the Magic head to Chicago on Friday night.
