When the Magic returned from the NBA All-Star break last season, Orlando dropped six of its next eight games.
Although Jamahl Mosley‘s squad was able to recover and win 12 of its final 18 games to finish No. 7 in the East and earn homecourt advantage in the Play-In Tournament, this year’s group can’t afford the same type of drop off coming out of the league break.
The Magic (28-25) enter the week 1 1/2 games behind No. 6 Philadelphia (30-24) but also only a half-game in front of No. 8 Miami (29-27), three games ahead of No. 9 Charlotte (26-29) and 3 1/2 games in the lead of No. 10 Atlanta (26-30).
“Get their bodies right, the rest that’s needed for a couple days and then make sure they get their conditioning in, getting some shots up … Be ready for that back end of the season that turns into basically a sprint,” Mosley said last week when asked what he wanted his team to do during the break. “Just understand … our ability to sit down, reset, rest our bodies and our minds, and then come out ready to go on the back end of it.”
Orlando begins the back end with a challenging four-game trip on the West Coast. The team went 2-2 on its first trip out west in late-December.
After opening at Sacramento on Thursday (the Kings own the league’s worst record with only 12 wins), the Magic then face three teams competing for postseason positioning in the Western Conference.
Orlando to travels to No. 7 Phoenix (32-23) on Saturday and the No. 10 Clippers (26-28) the next night with both games on NBA TV. The Magic then wrap up the trip against the No. 5 Lakers (33-21) next Tuesday.
Awaiting them at Kia Center next Thursday will be a tough matchup with No. 4 Houston on Amazon Prime Video to open a four-game homestand that includes meetings with Detroit, Washington and Dallas to start the month of March.
“Our best basketball is definitely in front of us,” Magic guard Desmond Bane said before the break. “And that’s super exciting. Knowing we’re not the team we want to be, we have a lot of room to grow.”
Where Magic stand at NBA All-Star break and what’s next | Analysis
Magic set to host Orlando Wine Festival
The Orlando Wine Festival & Auction benefiting the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation will take place on Feb. 28 at Four Seasons Resort Orlando, the team announced.
The annual event that raises funds to assist at-risk youth in Central Florida has raised nearly $5 million for the Magic’s foundation since its debut in 2019. Last year’s festival brought in a record amount: more than $2 million for the OMYF.
The franchise’s signature fundraiser for the OMYF includes vintner dinners, a wine festival and live and e-auctions. The outdoor festival will feature live music, live auction displays, local and celebrity chefs, wineries and food pavilions, along with Magic players, coaches and team legends.
In addition, the DeVos Community Enrichment Award winner will be announced the evening of the festival. The award honors a Magic player who has dedicated his efforts off the court for the purpose of enhancing other’s lives.
The player will be granted $20,000 from the DeVos Family Foundation to be donated to the charity of his choice. Paolo Banchero won the award last year.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
Magic at Kings
When: 10 p.m., Thursday, Golden 1 Center
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida