Did Magic Win vs. Heat Save Orlando's Season?

The Orlando Magic pulled out a massive overtime win Saturday night against the Miami Heat. Did the victory save the Magic's season?

Jeremy Brener | Mar 12, 2023

Did Magic Win vs. Heat Save Orlando's Season? /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - With just a handful of games left in the regular season, the margin of error is thinning for the Orlando Magic.

That's why Saturday night's 126-114 overtime win against the Miami Heat was so crucial. The victory keeps the Magic within striking distance of the final spot in the play-in tournament as the team sits just 3.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls with 14 games to go.

But did the win save Orlando's season?

Some might argue that it did, but Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. disagrees.

"No," Carter Jr. responded when asked if the win saved the season. "We gotta win the next one, then the next one, then the next one, then the next one, then the next one. That's where our mind is... especially after getting a W, saying 'Oh yeah, we're good.' We could drop the next three or four, that's kinda how the league goes. Our next focus is with San Antonio now. Gotta get that one... I don't even care about this game anymore."

It's clear that Carter Jr. and the Magic has its sights set on the postseason. The team may not get there, but Orlando knows what it has to do in order to be in consideration for the playoffs ... just keep winning.

With just 14 games to go, 12 of which come against playoff hopefuls, the odds are stacked against the Magic. But if the team can pull out wins like it did Saturday night over the course of the final four weeks of the season, Orlando may just save its season after all.

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Published Mar 12, 2023

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.