Locked On Magic - Daily Podcast On The Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic scored a critical victory over the Detroit Pistons, securing their third straight win and their fifth in the last seven. Is it time to believe this team can make a miraculous turnaround and steal back the 6- or 7-seed? Wins like this one are certainly important. The Magic are playing well again, even if they are beating up on some weakened competition. Orlando needs as many wins...

The Orlando Magic needed to rally from a 15-point deficit to edge the New Orleans Pelicans. It was a gutsy performance where the Magic found their energy in a dominant defensive fourth quarter. And every win counts at this point of the season. But the seeming lack of energy has defined the season. While energy has long been the defining trait for this Magic team, it has been sorely lacking this se...

The Orlando Magic crushed the Dallas Mavericks behind an energetic effort throughout the roster. It was a clear response to their coach challenging them after a frustrating defeat on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. Several key players who are central to the team's energy stepped up, including Wendell Carter. Carter is not won to be loud with his play. But he scored a season-high 28 points to...

The Orlando Magic brought Franz Wagner back from injury, even with just seven games remaining. It is a big risk considering his false starts coming back from the high ankle sprain that has cost him most of his season. Wagner is not one to quit on the season with time remaining. But with so little to play for, what can the Magic gain from playing Wagner in the final two weeks of the season? They ca...

The Orlando Magic reached another breaking point as frustration erupted at the Kia Center in the form of boos and chants to fire Jamahl Mosley. The team hit another rough game where they folded after a strong start. Even with Franz Wagner returning to the lineup, the Magic could not find the energy to get back into the game. The Magic started off well enough and took an early lead. But when the Ha...

The Orlando Magic let their defense lead the way as they scored a huge win over the Phoenix Suns, 115-111. The Magic held the Suns to one field goal in the final 5.5 minutes to give their offense the time to pull away and get the shots they needed to win the game. Is this the momentum-building response the Magic need as the Playoff race tightens and the season draws to an end? This was far from a...

The Orlando Magic are at a crossroads as they approach the end of their season. They are clearly moving on from their coach. But it will take more than a coaching change to right the ship and get the Magic back on track. The pressure this summer is on Jeff Weltman to reshape the roster and be aggressive to improve the team. It is on him to turn this team from one that has focused mostly on rebuild...

The Orlando Magic suffered their worst loss in franchise history, falling 139-87 to the Toronto Raptors. What makes it worse is that they did so in a game that everyone acknowledged was vital to their Playoff chase. The Magic seem destined for the Play-In tournament and a summer of some extreme changes. The Magic have lacked an identity all year. The defense that powered the team to the Playoffs i...

The Orlando Magic snapped their six-game losing streak thanks to some timely shots and a big fourth-quarter run that finally gave them breathing room and some much-needed relief. The Magic needed to get a win any way that they could, even if it came with another poor defensive effort and by the skin of their teeth against a tanking Sacramento Kings team. The win was thanks in large part to another...

The Orlando Magic seem destined for a trip to the Play-In for a second straight season. They have 10 games to determine where they will ultimately finish in the standings and regain some pride and respectability to close the season. The Magic's season is undoubtedly one of the most disappointing in franchise history no matter how things finish this season. Orlando is merely trying to salvage a pie...

The Orlando Magic's Playoff hopes hang by a thread after a sixth straight loss. Paolo Banchero looked like a superstar again, carrying the Magic into the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with another 36 points. But his team struggled to step up and support him and the defense never stiffened, allowing Donovan Mitchell and James Harden to outshine him. It is clear -- and has been clear -- that...

The Orlando Magic unraveled in a crushing 128-126 loss to one of the league's worst teams in the Indiana Pacers. The team found itself down early, outworked and out physicaled, giving the Pacers confidence to close the game and end a 16-game losing streak. Orlando has now lost five straight games and their playoff hopes are fading. Where is the urgency that this team needs? Where is the team peaki...

The Orlando Magic's playoff hopes truly teeter on the edge after their crushing loss to the Los Angeles on Saturday. The team is still in the race just a game behind the Toronto Raptors for fifth, but they are warding off teams around them and below them in a tightening race. The final 12 games will be a challenge for the Magic. But they still have several advantages. They play fewer games against...

The Orlando Magic let a sure victory slip away against the Los Angeles Lakers. Their poor execution on the final three plays were symbolic of cascading errors throughout the game that cost the Magic a chance for a huge victory as their grip in the Eastern Conference playoff race quickly fades. These errors were nothing new for the Magic. They made similar mistakes in previous games, and those mist...

The Orlando Magic's momentum has stalled as their once-unbreakable connection is faltering in another blowout loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Jamahl Mosley tried to spur his team into some momentum by getting ejected, but the team continued to look a bit lost on both ends and could not keep up with a Hornets team that took advantage of every mistake and buried them with 3-pointers. Orlando simply d...

The clock is ticking for the Orlando Magic as the season winds down and the Eastern Conference playoff race tightens in the final weeks of the season. The Magic are still waiting to be whole again as Franz Wagner continues to work his way back from a high left ankle sprain. But time is running out with just four weeks and 14 games remaining. Wagner is not yet playing live. These games will go quic...

The Orlando Magic got a taste of the Playoffs as the Oklahoma City Thunder out-executed down the stretch to beat them despite the Magic's energetic effort. The Thunder made the little plays down the stretch to pull ahead and tip a close game in their favor. That will be the difference for the Magic when they get to the playoffs. Despite a stellar showing from Paolo Banchero, there were a lot of is...

The Orlando Magic's seven-game win streak ended with a disappointing 124-112 loss to the streaking Atlanta Hawks. The worst version of the Magic showed up as they struggled to find the energy and intensity that characterized their win streak. It was a stark reminder of how close the worst version of themselves is to coming to the surface. The Hawks looked like the team that wanted it more. And the...

The Orlando Magic kept their Playoff surge alive, holding on for a 121-117 victory over the Miami Heat, extending their win streak to seven games and completing a five-game season series sweep over their archrivals. The Magic's win streak has showcased what makes this team special, and a return to the team's key identity of resilience and defense have helped propel the team up the standings. Still...

The Orlando Magic escaped with an overtime win against the Washington Wizards for their sixth straight game. But it obviously was not easy for the Magic despite the difference in the teams' quality. The Magic were slow and looked fatigued on the second night of a back-to-back, missing many of the details that have powered them through this win streak. That nearly cost them as the Washington Wizard...

The Orlando Magic surged past the Cleveland Cavaliers behind Desmond Bane's electrifying 35-point performance and another strong defensive showing from Paolo Banchero for their fifth win in a row in a 128-122 victory. The win serves notice that the Magic are a player in the Eastern Conference as they take over the 5-seed in the conference. This was a major win against a quality team that shows the...

Desmond Bane has found his footing in his new home in Orlando. He has been a consistent and driving force to keep the Orlando Magic in the playoff race and drive them up the standings. Bane has delivered everything the Magic could hope for and more. After averaging 23 points per game and posting a 50-40-90 shooting performance, he is the MVP of the Magic's third quarter of the season. As the Magic...

A shocking decision from the Orlando Magic and Jonathan Isaac leaked out on Sunday. The Magic and Isaac amended the trigger for his guarantee clause to June 28 rather than 52 games played. That certainly signals the Magic are planning to move on from Isaac this offseason in a ruthless effort to shed a major salary from their cap sheet. The realities of being in the tax and the first apron are hitt...

The Orlando Magic dismantled the Milwaukee Bucks as the team continues to make its Playoff push and climb up the standings. The Magic's defensive edge has returned, holding the Bucks to 91 points and 36 points in the second half to runaway with a 130-91 victory. Everything starts with the Magic's star player in Paolo Banchero. He dominated from the beginning with 26 of his 33 points in the first h...

The Orlando Magic overpowered the Minnesota Timberwolves with a dominant paint presence to runaway with the victory 119-92. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane helped set the tone with their constant attacks to the basket. Can the Magic revive their aggressive, paint-based mentality as they hit the final 20 games of the season? Both Bane and Banchero set the tone with 30 and 25 points, respectively, b...