Magic Getting the Right Attention Amidst Win Streak

"Before March, the Magic hadn’t won more than three straight games. But they’ve now won seven straight, with wins over the Wolves, Cavs and Heat included. That has them 10 games over .500 (for the first time) and in fifth place in the East, only a game in the loss column behind the fourth-place Cavs," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Magic have two games left on a stretch of five in seven days, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Thunder on Tuesday. Their visit to Oklahoma City last month was their biggest loss of the season (36 points)."

The Athletic, Law Murray (7, up 3)

"It’s quite a clash lining up Monday night in Atlanta, with the Magic bringing a seven-game win streak into their matchup with the Hawks. Desmond Bane has hit some huge shots, and his clutch-time 3 against the Cavaliers was the latest in what has been a great season. Bane has 12 30-point games this season, a career high," Murray wrote.

Clutch Points, Brett Siegel (11, up 2)

"One of the hottest teams in the NBA right now is the Orlando Magic, who have won seven straight games and recently overtook the Toronto Raptors for the 5-seed in the Eastern Conference," Siegel wrote.

"Paolo Banchero has been fantastic as of late, but the Magic's overall depth has been stepping up with Franz Wagner still out of the lineup due to his ankle injury. Jalen Suggs is healthy and playing at a high level, and second-year wing Tristan da Silva has been fantastic in his secondary role, helping fill the gaps around this team's stars."

Overview

The Magic absolutely deserve their ascent in the power rankings after not losing a game for over two weeks. This is the best stretch of basketball the team has played this season, and it really appears like everyone on the court is locking in and buying into what the coaching staff has set up for them.

Since the All-Star break, the Magic have really turned things around, winning 10 of 13 games. They were able to hit a reset button during the break, and it has resulted in positive developments moving forward. The player taking the biggest charge on the team is Paolo Banchero, and it has led to the best stretch of basketball in his four-year career.

Banchero is the leader of the group, and the team appears to be following his lead. Desmond Bane is also playing very well, and the two of them are able to pick up the slack with Franz Wagner and Anthony Black sidelined with injuries.

While the Magic have been playing well as of late, they need to maintain this positive stretch. The schedule gets tougher for the final 16 games of the season, and they will need to win a majority of them in order to keep their spot amongst the top squads in the league.