The Eastern Conference play-in tournament is down to two teams.
Following Wednesday’s 109–97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic will host the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets Friday night at the Kia Center.
The winner of the final play-in contest scores a first-round date with the top-seeded Pistons, kicking off a best-of-seven series on Sunday night. The loser books an early trip to Cancun.
The Hornets enter as 2.5-point road favorites with -148 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Magic are a +124 underdog, with the game total set at O/U 219.5 points.
Orlando struggled to capitalize against a Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia squad, despite a 34-point performance from Desmond Bane. Both Paolo Banchero (18) and Franz Wagner (12) were held below 20 points. Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey erupted for 31 points, and Kelly Oubre drained five threes for the Sixers. The Magic are now at risk of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.
On the flip side, the surging Hornets are just one win away from their first playoff appearance in a decade, following Tuesday’s overtime barnburner against the Heat in Charlotte. The squad squeaked past Miami, 127–126, behind LaMelo Ball’s last-second layup and Miles Bridges’ game-winning block at the buzzer.
Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists, while Bridges tallied 28 points and nine rebounds in the winning effort. Rookie sensation Kon Knueppel struggled in his first taste of postseason action, held to just six points on 2-for-12 from the field — and a jarring 0-for-6 from downtown.
Charlotte won three of its four regular-season matchups with Orlando, most recently storming to a 130–111 blowout on March 19.
The 76ers will take on the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the first round, with the best-of-seven series kicking off Sunday afternoon at TD Garden.
