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Philippines, 03 May 2024 |
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Biggest Gainers, Losers in the East By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Fri, 19 Apr 2024  The Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers, two teams that did not even make it to the play-in last season, are the biggest gainers in the NBA Eastern Conference this 2023-24 regular season. Biggest losers are the New Jersey Nets, automatic playoff qualifiers at sixth, and the Toronto Raptors, ninth placer and play-in participant last season but fall to 11th and 12th this season. The Philadelphia 76ers likewise fall to 7th from third last season. The Magic finished at fifth with a record of 47 wins and 35 losses while the Pacers came in at sixth, also with a 47-35 slate. Orlando's continuously taking its chances on their 2022 first round draft pick Paulo Banchero, the NBA 2023 season rookie of the year paid off handsomely. Also instrumental to the Magic's rise is the continuous improving game of the Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz which Orlando selected in the 2021 draft from Germany. Point guard Jalen Sugg likewise provided steadiness on the team with veteran smarts from Joe Ingles. The Pacers obviously benefited from the addition of do-everything big man Paskal Siakam acquired through trade with Toronto. However, both the Magics and the Pacers will be tested sternly in their first round playoff assignments against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks, respectively. Last season, the Raptors were eliminated by the Chicago Bulls while the Nets were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. This season, despite not making it automatically to the playoffs, the Sixers have nevertheless advanced by defeating the Miami Heat for the 7th seed. Philadelphia will be up against #2 seed New York Knicks in their best of seven first round assignment. The Heat will play Chicago Bulls, winner over the Atlanta Hawks, in a sudden death game for the 8th and final seed. The winner will go up against top seed Boston Celtics in the first round. All best of seven series will be played on 2-2-1-1-1 format with the higher seeds holding the homecourt advantage. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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