Magic 'Coming Out to Win', Not Tank as Season Draws to Close

The Orlando Magic could hurt its draft positioning by winning in the final weeks of the season, but the team is focused on continuing to get better.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is moving up the standings after picking up win No. 32 on the season after a comfortable 119-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

The win inched the Magic one game back of the 11th-place Indiana Pacers, but Orlando remains 4.5 games back of the Chicago Bulls for that coveted final play-in spot.

The play-in chances for the Magic are slim, but Orlando is still focused on winning to maintain the team's culture and identity.

"We're playing every game and trying to win every game," Jalen Suggs said. "If you come out to lose, the battle is already lost. What more do you build from there at that point?

"We're coming out to win every night."

At this point in the season, the Magic is likely headed to the lottery once again, but if Orlando continues to win over the final seven games of the season, its odds to acquire the No. 1 pick in the lottery decrease.

But that's not the Magic's priority. Orlando wants to finish the season strong and commit to its ultimate goal of winning the championship.

"I don't know anyone who loves the game of basketball ... that wants to lose," Markelle Fultz said. "Our team is definitely not trying to lose. We're focusing on trying to get better every day."

At this point in the season, battles of philosophy begin to take place. Is it best to lose games in order for a chance at a better pick or is it more important to continue practicing what you preach.

The Portland Trail Blazers, who currently sit in 13th place in the Western Conference, hold a similar position to that of the Magic. The Blazers were fighting for a play-in spot for most of the year, but in recent weeks, a losing streak has pegged Portland in a very unlikely place to reach the postseason.

As a result, the team has sidelined its best player Damian Lillard for the rest of the season in hopes to possibly achieve a better position in the draft.

For a team like Portland with an already built-in superstar, "tanking" these final games could make sense, but it doesn't help fortify a winning culture.

The Magic could also go in this direction, but ultimately, winning as many games as possible is what Orlando needs more than anything.

The Magic hopes that competing in these late-season games will give Orlando the momentum it needs to go into the offseason and continue to build the foundation and program it has to contend for a playoff spot next year.

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You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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