The Orlando Magic have officially earned the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the NBA Playoffs — a matchup that has sent Orlando fans into a state of cautious optimism that local therapists are calling “progress.”
The Magic clinched their playoff berth in the final days of the regular season, defeating several teams who were also trying not to make the playoffs, before ultimately securing their spot through a combination of effort, circumstance, and the Detroit Pistons finishing first in the East, which continues to be a real sentence that exists.
“We believe in ourselves,” said an Orlando player who asked not to be identified because he is trying to stay in the moment. “We’ve worked extremely hard to get here and we’re going to give it everything we have for however many games this lasts.”
The Pistons, who earned the top seed after a regular season that has reignited interest in basketball in Detroit for the first time since a period that locals describe only as “before,” are expected to be heavy favorites in the series.
Oddsmakers have set the line at Detroit in five games. Detroit fans, who have survived decades of automotive industry disruption and several previous sports disappointments, are described as “skeptically hopeful” — a mood that has been their default setting since 2004.
“We don’t take anyone lightly,” said a Pistons spokesperson. “Especially not Orlando. They are a professional basketball team. We are aware of this.”
The series begins this week. The winner will advance. The loser will go home and watch the remaining games with a complex emotional experience that only sports fans fully understand.
Globe News Daily’s own playoff bracket was eliminated in the second round of filling it out. We are also in our feelings.
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