The Orlando Magic’s quest for consistency hit another speed bump Friday night, as the Philadelphia 76ers stormed into the Kia Center and left with a 103-91 victory in front of a sold-out crowd. The loss not only snapped Orlando’s hopes for a rare win streak but also underscored the team’s ongoing struggle to string together consecutive victories—a feat they haven’t accomplished since the end of November.
It was a night marked by shifting momentum, as the lead changed hands 11 times before the 76ers seized control in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Magic 20-12. Despite a gritty effort from Orlando, the absence of key contributors Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Jalen Suggs (right knee MCL contusion) was impossible to ignore. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley acknowledged the challenge, stating after the game, “I would have liked to have seen the ball go in the basket. You’ve got to give Philly credit for the way they defended at the rim.”
This matchup held added weight, as it was the final regular-season meeting between the two Eastern Conference rivals, and the Sixers clinched the season series 2-1. With playoff positioning likely to come down to a handful of games, this result could loom large come April.
The Magic entered the contest at 21-17, sixth in the Eastern Conference and within striking distance of the fourth-place Toronto Raptors. Yet, their .500 record since December 1—a 9-9 stretch with a net rating of -3.1 points per 100 possessions—reflects a team still searching for rhythm. Their offensive output has been particularly concerning, ranking fourth-worst in the league at 111.3, while their defense sits at a middling 14th (114.4 rating).
Orlando’s inability to sustain momentum has been a recurring theme. Over their last 14 games, they’ve gone 7-7, alternating wins and losses in their last 12. Injuries have taken a toll, with Wagner missing his 15th straight game and Suggs sidelined for the 11th time in 13 outings. The Magic’s depth was further tested when forward Tristan da Silva was ruled out an hour before tipoff due to back spasms, prompting rookie Noah Penda to make his first career start alongside Anthony Black, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, and Wendell Carter Jr.
“It would be nice to go ideal and say it should look like this,” Mosley said earlier in the day. “But the reality is this is what it looks like right now. Up, down, win one, lose one, how do we play consistent basketball? That happens when you get consistent rotation and consistent players in the lineup. That’s what we’re in right now. That’s the truth we speak to them. How do you bounce out of it? You communicate with one another, you talk about the things that are in front of you and you handle it the right way.”
Against a full-strength 76ers squad featuring Joel Embiid, Paul George, and rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe, the Magic kept things close through three quarters. Black and Bane each tallied 14 points by halftime—Black knocking down his first two three-point attempts, Bane attacking the rim with authority despite missing his first three from deep. Bane finished with a team-high 23 points, five assists, and five rebounds, while Black added 21 points and four assists, albeit with four turnovers. Banchero contributed 14 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, but also coughed up the ball four times and missed all three of his long-range shots.
Philadelphia’s defensive pressure and opportunistic play proved decisive. The Sixers forced 19 Magic turnovers, converting them into 20 points, and dominated the glass for 22 second-chance points. Their 19 fast-break points kept Orlando on its heels. Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 29 points, supported by Embiid’s 22 and George’s 18. The trio’s presence was a stark contrast to the Magic’s 41-point blowout win over a depleted Sixers roster back in November.
“It was huge,” Mosley said of the Sixers’ extra possessions. “You get the initial stop, you’ve got to come up with the board so you can finish the possession so you can get out and run and get some easy baskets. The way [the Sixers] defended made it tough on us to get shots in the halfcourt. Then you turn it over … It’s a hard recipe to come away with a win.”
Neither team found much success from beyond the arc, combining to shoot a frigid 8-for-57 (14%) from deep—Orlando just 4-for-29, Philadelphia 4-for-28. The Magic’s bench, already thin with Penda promoted to the starting five and da Silva out, contributed just 15 points. Tyus Jones and Jett Howard struggled mightily, missing all nine of their shots. Jonathan Isaac, who didn’t see action until the third quarter, chipped in four points as the Magic’s reserves were narrowly outscored by the Sixers’ bench, 17-15.
Rookie watch provided a silver lining for Orlando fans. Penda, celebrating his 21st birthday just two days prior, was active on the boards and on defense, finishing with five points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes. Jase Richardson, recently upgraded from questionable to available after an ankle scare, notched nine points—all in the paint—while helping to energize the second unit.
The game took an unexpected turn late in the first quarter when NBA official Bill Kennedy collapsed near the Sixers’ bench with a right leg injury and had to be wheel-chaired off the court. The remaining two referees, James Williams and Michael Smith, finished the contest without a third official.
For the Magic, the defeat extends a frustrating pattern. Since December, they’ve managed to stay afloat—treading water, as some have put it—but have not gained ground in the standings. The team’s goals remain in sight, but the path forward depends on getting healthy and rediscovering their defensive and rebounding identity. “We’ve got to make it happen,” said Wendell Carter. “The biggest thing for us is the last game, we were pretty good defensively. I think we’ve just got to find a way to make it work on both ends of the court consistently throughout the game. When we get our leads, continue to do what got us the lead and not shying away from what works. And defensively staying aggressive.”
The Magic now turn their attention to Sunday’s home tilt against the New Orleans Pelicans, hoping that the return of Wagner and Suggs is just around the corner. Until then, Orlando remains in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, but the search for that elusive breakthrough continues. As Carter put it before the game, “The water will break at some point, and the floodgates will definitely open for us. I’ve got confidence in this team. Everyone wants to win and figure out a way to win and string some wins together. I’ve got confidence we’ll all come together at some point, especially with guys coming back into the fold.”
For now, the Magic keep grinding—waiting for their moment to rise above the win-loss shuffle and make their mark on the NBA landscape.
