ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic hurtled into the NBA’s official halfway point and crashed with a resounding thud on Wednesday night, but still some perspective is in order for a season with 41 games left to play.
Forty-one games in, the Magic sit at 17-24 and just 2 ½ games out of the final playoff spot in the pedestrian Eastern Conference. Here’s where that much-needed perspective comes in: last season, the Magic were 12-29 and 9 ½ games out of that No. 8 spot by the midpoint and for all intents and purposes playing for ping-pong balls in the NBA Draft Lottery.