Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Magic Eliminated From Playoff Contention After Loss vs. Cavs
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic's quest for the 2023 NBA Championship is officially over.
Even though the odds were incredibly long from the beginning of the season, the Magic was not officially eliminated from play-in contention until Tuesday after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers at home.
Considering the fact that the Magic started the season with the No. 1 overall pick and had very low expectations, Orlando being eliminated with just three games to go is an achievement in itself.
With Orlando's elimination, the Chicago Bulls are officially in the play-in tournament and will have a chance to compete for a playoff spot next week against the Toronto Raptors and two of the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets or Miami Heat.
Heading into Tuesday night, the Nets had a two-game lead over the Heat and a four-game advantage over the Hawks for the sixth and final playoff spot.
Over the final five days of the regular season, these teams will fight for positioning within the play-in tournament, one which can go in any direction considering how close these teams are to one another.
For the Magic, it will still have a chance to put its imprint on the play-in standings. After hosting the Cavs for a rematch Thursday, Orlando heads to Brooklyn to face the Nets on Friday before closing out the season in South Beach on Easter Sunday against the Heat.
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