Franz Wagner and his Magic must fight for a direct place in the playoffs. © APA / SARAH STIER
The NBA regular season is coming to an end and the fight to qualify for the playoffs is heating up. The Orlando Magic suffered a bitter defeat.
13. April 2024
Da:dpa
The Orlando Magic must think about directly qualifying for the playoffs in the North American NBA basketball championship. They lost their penultimate game of the season to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday by 113:125. Heading into Sunday’s final day of play, Orlando is in fifth place, tied with the Indiana Pacers and Sixers. All three teams play at home ultimately, with the Magic having their toughest opponent in the form of the second-ranked Milwaukee Bucks in the East. Even the eighth-place Miami Heat could benefit from a Magic defeat and surpass themselves.
Only the top six teams from each conference qualify directly for the playoffs, the other four play for two spots in a so-called play-in tournament. For Philadelphia, which won its seventh consecutive game, the league’s leading scorer Joel Embiid stood out with 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. The New York Knicks won 111:107 against the Brooklyn Nets. If the Bucks lose in Orlando, the Knicks could move up to second place in the East.
Three-way battle at the top
In the Western Conference, three teams are leading the standings before the final day of play, behind them the Los Angeles Clippers are secure in fourth place despite a narrow 109:110 defeat against the Utah Jazz. The Clippers benefited from a surprising, clean 89:107 loss to the Dallas Mavericks against the Detroit Pistons. The New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns will battle for the last direct playoff spot in the West on Sunday.
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2024-04-14 00:06:52
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