The Orlando Magic didn’t break out the confetti after locking up the Southeast Division this time—and honestly, that says everything. While it’s their second straight year finishing on top, the vibe’s shifted. Hard to believe it’s been since the Dwight Howard era (yep, back in 2008–10) since they last did this in back-to-back seasons. That’s how far this group has come. Franz Wagner summed it up: “The way my first two years went here, it’s really cool — the progression that we’re on and that we kind of expect that at this point.”

And it’s not like this season was smooth. It threw everything at them. Wagner tore a muscle in his abdomen. Paolo Banchero dealt with the same issue. Jalen Suggs? Season cut short with a knee injury that couldn’t wait. Still, even with just two guys averaging double digits, they’re right there.

One win away.

That shot comes Tuesday night when they host the Atlanta Hawks in the East’s 7–8 Play-In. They’ll tip off at 7:30 p.m. on TNT. The regular season series? Dead even at 2–2. The Magic lost to the Hawks 117-105 on Sunday. But they were without the services of Wagner and Banchero. But not on Tuesday.

Wagner’s back just in time—and not a moment too soon. Cleared to play Tuesday night as his name doesn’t appear on the injury report submitted by the Magic, he’ll be suiting up against the Hawks at the Kia Center.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. He’s been on a tear lately, putting up nearly 24 points a game, pulling down boards, dropping dimes, and keeping the Magic steady with his mid-range and inside game. His three-point shot? Still coming along, but he’s making it count where it matters most.

The stakes? Massive. If Orlando takes down the Hawks at home, they punch their ticket as the 7-seed and line up a first-round showdown with the Celtics. Lose, and the path gets bumpy—they’ll have to battle it out again on Friday against the winner of the 9-10 game. It’s not do-or-die yet, but let’s just say… the easy route’s on the line, and Wagner’s showing up like he knows it.

But here’s the thing—regardless of what happens in the Play-In, this season’s already carved a place in Magic history. And that’s thanks to the rise of Banchero and Wagner.

Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero script history for the Magic

You didn’t need to watch every Magic game to notice something brewing in Orlando. Every few nights, Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner would pop off and casually rewrite the franchise record book. And they weren’t doing it for headlines—they were just hooping.

The thing is, it wasn’t just noise. These two put together the best seasons of their careers, even while playing through pain. Banchero battled core soreness. Wagner had an oblique injury. Still, they delivered. “You want to build your own legacy,” Paolo said—and man, they’re doing exactly that.

Neither suited up for the regular-season finale. Why risk it with the Play-In around the corner? Their work was done. Paolo dropped 25.9 a night, the first Magic player to hit that since T-Mac in ‘04. From late February to early April, he went for 20+ in 20 straight games. Then he caught fire—five straight 30-point games in March. Only McGrady has done that more often in a row.

Franz? Quietly elite. He averaged 24.2 points, went for 20+ in 16 straight games, and became just the third Magic player to post three separate 30-point streaks in one season. “I didn’t know about that. I guess that’s really cool,” Franz shrugged when asked about joining Shaq and T-Mac in that club. Low-key, but the impact? Huge.

Together, they’re not just the first Magic duo since Shaq and Penny to average 20 a game—they’re the reason this team feels real again. With both on the floor, Orlando has a +9.5 net rating since midseason.

This isn’t just a blip. It’s the beginning.