Game 7 Loss vs. Cavs Necessary For Magic to Take Next Step

The Orlando Magic's season ended with their Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that could be exactly what they need to improve to become a contender.

May 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) drives to the basket / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — The path to going from a playoff team to a bonafide contender is rarely a smooth one.

The Orlando Magic experienced their first significant bump in the road with a 106-94 loss in Game 7 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on Sunday at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. While the loss and their season coming to an end will leave a sting that'll take a while to go away, coach Jamahl Mosley focused more on the positives that came from Orlando's season.

"It sucks," Mosley said. "It does not to get the game knowing what you were capable of doing. To be up 18 [points], to feel you were in a space to close out and not get it done. It doesn't feel good. And then in the same breath, you have to put it all into perspective. Sometimes these painful things are blessings in disguise."

The good that came out of the Magic's season far outweighs the unsatisfying ending that came on Sunday. Orlando improved by 13 wins and earned the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Jalen Suggs established himself as one of the better defensive guards in the NBA and Franz Wagner took another step this season and had a pair of great performances in the playoffs.

Arguably above all the good things to come from this season for Orlando, Paolo Banchero arrived and proved himself as a superstar in just his second season as a pro. Banchero had three 30-point performances against the Cavs, making him the second-youngest player to do so other than LeBron James.

"It shows where we’re headed," Banchero said. " [It] shows what we were able to do just this year by itself. I think it’s really encouraging for everybody players, coaches, the whole organization. We’re really gonna build off this”

Banchero had 38 points and 16 rebounds in the loss. With his performance against Cleveland, Banchero became the second player under 22 to average at least 25 points and eight rebounds over seven games, only trailing James.

"Special," Mosley said of Banchero's performance. "There's a reason why he's an All-Star. There's a reason why he'll be All-NBA. Big moments, he never shies away from them. [He] never backed down and wanted every ounce of whatever they were throwing at him."

When the dust settles on Banchero, Wagner, Suggs and Mosley's tenure may be tied back to the seven-game series with Cleveland. If Orlando can return to the playoffs and make deeper runs in the years to come, this series will likely be viewed as its launching point from a young ascending team to one that became a force in the Eastern Conference.

Regardless, the jump Orlando made from last season to this year is nothing to scoff at. And if they can make a similar jump next season, the Magic will have a chance to be a contender for years to come.

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• GAME 7 RECAP: The Orlando Magic's season comes to an end after a Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. CLICK HERE

• MAGIC'S ASCENT BEGINS: The Orlando Magic have been eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but they should be back for many years to come. CLICK HERE