Orlando Magic sniffing a top 3 seed after win over Portland Trail Blazers: Wendell Carter Jr. leads the way

The Orlando Magic hosted the Portland Trail Blazers at Kia Center and they were able to pick up a huge win as they came out on top 104-103 behind a massive double-double by Wendell Carter Jr.

The big man finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block for the Magic. Franz Wagner scored a team-high 20 points while Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs each ended with 15 points. Gary Harris contributed 14 points with 2 makes from downtown.

Dalano Banton had an all-around game for the Blazers as he finished with a game-high 26 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, and 4 three-pointers. Deandre Ayton had 20 points and 12 boards while Scoot Henderson recorded 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists. Jabari Walker ended with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Orlando improves to 44-31 with this win and now sit just 1 game behind the Cavs for the 3rd seed. The Magic can easily move into a top 4 spot in the next few days and hosting a playoff series would be incredible success for this franchise.

Picking up this victory is huge for this team as they can potentially advance in the standings. They have been on fire, going 7-3 over their last 10 games and they’ll look to keep this momentum up on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Portland drops to 19-56 with this loss. The Blazers are looking to develop their young core and add more talent this off-season. They are currently on a 10-game losing streak and will face off against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.