Magic Top Timberwolves, Playoff Hopes Alive

Orlando keeps Top 6 seed chances with home finale win over Minnesota

Apr. 9, 2026 at 3:34am

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold, vibrant colors representing the action and energy of a basketball game, with sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes.The Magic's playoff push takes on a cubist, geometric energy as the team fights to secure a coveted Top 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.Boston Today

The Orlando Magic defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-120 in their regular season home finale on Wednesday night, keeping their hopes of securing a Top 6 playoff seed alive. The Magic wrap up the regular season with road games against the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics, needing to win out and get some help to reach the Top 6.

Why it matters

The Magic are in a tight race for a Top 6 playoff seed, which would allow them to avoid the play-in tournament. This win over the Timberwolves, who rested their starters, keeps Orlando's postseason aspirations within reach heading into the final two games of the regular season.

The details

In the win over Minnesota, Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 20 points, while Desmond Bane added 18 and Franz Wagner scored 17 before leaving the game with an injury in the third quarter, though he later returned.

  • The Magic (44-36) wrap up the regular season with road games on Friday against the Chicago Bulls and Sunday against the Boston Celtics.
  • The game against the Celtics has been elevated to a 6:00 PM tipoff on ESPN.

The players

Paolo Banchero

The Magic's leading scorer, who had 20 points in the win over the Timberwolves.

Desmond Bane

Scored 18 points for the Magic in the victory.

Franz Wagner

Contributed 17 points for the Magic before leaving the game with an injury in the third quarter, though he later returned.

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What they’re saying

“We must win out and get some help, but this was a big step in the right direction.”

— Paolo Banchero, Magic Forward

What’s next

The Magic will need to win their final two regular season games against the Bulls and Celtics, and also get help from other teams, in order to secure a Top 6 playoff seed.

The takeaway

The Magic's win over the Timberwolves keeps their hopes of avoiding the NBA play-in tournament alive, but they will need to win their final two games and get some outside help to reach that goal.