Magic Notebook: The Postseason Looms and Laker Leftovers

Eariler this week, when the Orlando Magic brought Dwight Howard home and inducted him into the franchise's Hall of Fame, he wasn't the only former Magic player coming home.

JJ Redick, a sharpshooter in Orlando for the first six-plus seasons of his career, was back in the building, too – this time as the first-year coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I loved my time here," Redick said before Monday's tipoff. "The seven years I spent here were magical. Anytime I come back to Orlando, I feel a little nostalgic. I met my wife here, got engaged here, played in the NBA Finals here. So, this is a special place for me. I was able to come back last year during All-Star break and didn't get my jersey retired, but they honored me at halfcourt, it was great.

"At some point, I'm going to talk to (Magic head of PR) Joel Glass and try to get that drawing of me from 2012 taken off the wall. But this is a special place. It was the first time being a pro, and you get ingratiated into a communit of people and that feeling of belonging into a place never leaves. Orlando is that for me."

Redick and Howard were teammates for six seasons in Orlando. and they went to the postseason in each of those seasons. With Howard as his teammate, Redick averaged 8.4 points on 40.0 three-point shooting in 346 games.

"He was a superstar," Redick said of the newest Magic Hall of Famer. "He was as dominant as any player, not just big, in the league during that time period."

Redick said Howard had a chance to be the NBA's MVP in 2011, when the Magic big averaged 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks a game. He finished as the runner-up to Chicago's Derrick Rose while the Magic won 52 games. Yet, Orlando flamed out in the first round of the playoffs after trips to the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals in the two years preceding it.

"It was great playing with him," Redick said. "Gave me a lot of confidence on the ball as a defender, and then just the way he put pressure on the rim, his screening, it really helped me."

That evening, the Magic spoiled Redick's return when paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner overcame the Lakers' duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic – the second victory in the Magic's current three-game winning streak.

Redick may have left with a sour taste because of the result. But, Orlando will always be Redick's first home.

Superman's plea to Paolo

As significant as Monday evening's result was for the Magic, it was just as monumental of a day for Howard.

The Magic's first overall choice in the 2004 NBA Draft came home, becoming the 13th inductee into the franchise's Hall of Fame on an emotional day for Howard.

While it was a day of celebration, there was also considerable attention and thought given to how his tenure in Orlando ended. As he took his rightful place in the Magic's forever home, he again worked on building the bridge back to Orlando fans.

"I know I disappointed a lot of you guys and in some ways I disappointed myself," Howard said. "But that's a whole part of life. Every day we learn, we grow. Thank you guys for supporting me all my beautiful years here."

Then, the Magic's leader for eight seasons made a plea to the new generation's current ringleader.

"Paolo, don't leave them, man," Howard said. "Don't leave them."

Howard went on to say that he hoped Banchero, Franz Wagner and the entire current Orlando team don't take these moments for granted. After making it to the Finals, Howard thought Orlando had broken through and would be back every year after that.

The reality is, even stretching to the current generation, the Magic haven't won a playoff series since the Magic's 2010 trip conference finals.

"Don't take any games, practices, any of this for granted, because you never know if you'll get this opportunity again," Howard said. "This life and this stuf only comes by once or twice ... It's very difficult to make it to this level.

"The world is here in their hands, it seems like. They have the best facilities, great coaches, they have a city that's behind them. Now, it's just about them, how much are they willing to sacrifice for the opporunity to win a championship? If they do, if Orlando gets a championship, oh my God. It'd be the best-feeling city and well deserved."

Magic on cusp of Play-In

While the Magic's window of championship contention may not be open for this season, Orlando is again on the cusp of postseason basketball.

Orlando's magic number to secure a top-10 seed in the Eastern Conference is one. By virtue of a single win or a Raptors loss, the Magic can ensure they'd finish no worse than 10th in the East.

The Magic host the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday evening in the Kia Center, while the 26-47 Raptors play the Charlotte Hornets Friday evening in Toronto.

Orlando currently holds the No. 8 seed in the East and is a half-game behind the Atlanta Hawks in seventh. Before Thursday's slate of games, the Milwaukee Bucks occupy the No. 6 seed with a five-game cushion beneath them.

Seeds 1-through-6 are guaranteed a first-round playoff series, while Nos. 7-10 compete for the final two spots via the Play-In Tournament. If the Magic do have to participate in the Play-In for playoff positioning, it would be their first time ever doing so since it's institution in 2021.

The Play-In Tournament runs from April 15-18, with the playoffs beginning April 19.

Osceola Magic clinch playoff spot

Orlando isn't the only team that's presumably bound for postseason play, however.

The Magic's G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic, are officially heading to the league's playoffs after a victory over Motor City on Wednesday night.

Osceola, led by head coach Dylan Murphy, is 20-12 with two games left to play in the regular season. That is quite the turnaround from a 5-11 Tip-Off Tournament mark, which reset after the G League's Winter Showcase in December. As of Thursday, Osceola is in a four-way tie for first in the Eastern Conference.

The Magic were champions of the G League in 2020-21, and made a conference semifinals appearance in 2023-24 after going 22-12 in the regular season.