NBA Power Rankings: Magic Rising Despite Loss vs. Mavs?

The Orlando Magic finished 1-2 this week. Where does that put them in the latest power rankings?

Jeremy Brener | Jan 30, 2024

NBA Power Rankings: Magic Rising Despite Loss vs. Mavs? /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic are on a rollercoaster after sandwiching a win against the Phoenix Suns in between two last-second losses against the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks.

The team has been apart of five games this month that have come down to the final possession, losing all of them. However, despite their close losses, the Magic are still moving up in CBS Sports' power rankings. The team now sits at No. 16, one spot ahead of last week.

Cole Anthony — Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

"The Magic lost to a couple of shorthanded teams in the Grizzlies and Mavs this week, but mixed in a solid win over the Suns on Sunday," CBS Sports writes. "Paolo Banchero averaged just under 30 points for the week to go along with seven assists and six rebounds per game."

Magic Start Sharp, But Sloppy Second Half Leads to Loss vs. Mavs

So, even though this month hasn't resulted in many wins, the Magic are being recognized as a competitive team in those losses.

The Magic's road trip continues this week with a visit to the Alamo and Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Then, the team heads up north to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday before a trip to see the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Published Jan 30, 2024

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.