March 3, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) takes a shot in the second half against the Washington Wizards at the KIA Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images Buoyed by a three-game winning streak, the Orlando Magic will look to help solidify their playoff spot as they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on Sunday night.
It will be the second night in a row for both teams. The Magic played in Minnesota and dominated the Timberwolves 119-92 on Saturday night. The Bucks beat the Utah Jazz 113-99 at home.
Desmond Bane led Orlando with 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor, but the sharpshooter notably failed to make his 3-pointer (0-for-5). Paolo Banchero added 25 points with 15 rebounds.
The defensive end was the highlight for Orlando, which held Minnesota to its second-lowest scoring mark of the season and 35.7 percent shooting from the field.
“Our guards did a great job of sticking to the game plan and applying pressure,” Magic coach Jamal Mosley said. “It was a very big game plan win for our guys and they came here and played with confidence that they could win.”
With the win, the Magic entered the coveted No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference standings as they aim to move out of the play-in bracket.
Milwaukee, continuing its play-in tournament chase, ended a four-game losing streak Saturday night when it disposed of the Jazz.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the third straight game since returning from injury with 27 points, nine boards and eight assists in 27 minutes.
The Bucks changed their starting lineup for size considerations and benched AJ Green along with Kyle Kuzma along with Ousmane Dieng, Ryan Rollins, Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner.
“We liked our starters because of their size. Ryan got off the ball more. With Giannis, we’re trying to space the floor with his size,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought we made some of the most advanced passes we’ve made all year.”
Rivers continued to emphasize his message to his team about playing time and why he changes his rotation to find what works and what doesn’t. A 120-97 loss to the Chicago Bulls on March 1 spurred that decision.
“After the loss in Chicago, we told them we’re going to sit down, we’re going to move and whoever makes the right plays is going to make the plays,” he said.
On the injury front, Anthony Black suffered a back injury in the first quarter and did not return on Saturday. He was placed on the day-to-day list along with Jase Richardson (back spasms) and Jonathan Isaac (knee), who missed the Jazz game.
The Bucks are without Kevin Porter Jr., who has a swollen knee. A return date has not yet been set for Porter, who is averaging 17.5 points per game.
This matchup will determine the win or loss between the two teams. They last played a two-game baseball-like series in Orlando in early February. The game was split with Orlando winning the first and the Bucks winning the second.
Neither contest featured Antetokounmpo. The Bucks’ victory was led by a performance by Cam Thomas, who came off the bench to score 34 points in just 25 minutes.
–Field level media
