Orlando Magic clinch NBA playoffs spot after blow out game against Atlanta Hawks

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Magic defeated the Atlanta Hawks 120-95 in the first game of the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday night, securing the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and advancing to the first round of the playoffs.

This will mark the second consecutive playoff appearance for the Magic and the 18th trip to the postseason in franchise history.

Magic secure playoff spot

Local perspective:

In Tuesday night's game, the Magic was off to a solid start and built a 32-17 lead in the opening quarter.

Although Atlanta cut Orlando's lead to three points in the third quarter, the Magic then outscored Atlanta 41-22 in the final quarter.

ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 15: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during the 2025 SoFi Play-In Tournament on April 15, 2025 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly ac

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Cole Anthony led Orlando with 26 points, and he made 10 of 17 shots, including four of nine three-pointers.

Paolo Banchero added 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Wendell Carter Jr. scored 19 points and seven rebounds. Anthony Black had 16 points on six-of-seven shooting off the bench.

Meanwhile, Atlanta's Tre Young was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter after picking up two technical fouls.

Playoff bound

What's next:

The Magic will now face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

The Orlando team hasn't won a playoff series since 2010, and they haven’t ever won an opening round series as the lower seed.

Although the Magic finished the season 41-41, which was a step back after a 47-win campaign last season, they were the best defensive team in the league, holding opponents to an NBA-low 105.5 points per game (Boston was second at 107.2 points allowed per game).

In the three times the two teams played in the regular season, the Magic won twice. However, Jayson Tatum didn’t play for the Celtics in their two losses.

Here's a quick look at the upcoming game schedule: