The Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks are set to meet in a high-stakes Play-In showdown tonight, with the winner clinching the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed and a first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
Both squads enter the elimination game in Orlando dealing with major injury concerns that could impact rotations and game flow.
The Hawks will be without five players, including starting center Clint Capela, who has been ruled out with a ligament sprain in his left hand.
Jalen Johnson is also unavailable after undergoing left shoulder surgery, while guard Kobe Bufkin remains sidelined due to right shoulder surgery.
Atlanta’s frontcourt depth has been further thinned by the loss of Larry Nance Jr., who is recovering from a right knee fracture.
Three other Hawks—Daeqwon Plowden, Jacob Toppin, and Keaton Wallace—are ineligible to play.
All-Star guard Trae Young is listed as probable with right Achilles tendinitis, though he is expected to be in uniform for tip-off.
The Magic, meanwhile, are missing two rotation pieces, including Jalen Suggs, who remains out with a cartilage tear in his left knee.
Veteran forward Moritz Wagner has been ruled out with a torn ACL, weakening Orlando’s bench frontcourt options.
Three players on the Magic—Mac McClung, Trevelin Queen, and Ethan Thompson—are ineligible and not expected to be active.
Both teams split the season series 2-2, with every matchup decided by single digits.
Orlando secured the seventh seed with a 41-41 record and boasts one of the league’s top-ranked defenses, giving up just 105.5 points per game.
Atlanta, sitting eighth at 40-42, enters the contest with the Eastern Conference’s third-highest scoring offense but also one of its weakest defenses.
A win secures a playoff berth against Boston, while the loser will face the winner of the 9-10 game between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat for the conference’s final spot.
