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The Orlando Magic secured their spot in the 2025 NBA Playoffs with a commanding 120-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in the NBA Play-In Tournament. While the team delivered a complete performance, it was Cole Anthony who stood out, igniting Orlando’s dominant fourth-quarter surge and helping propel the team to a first-round matchup with the defending champion Boston Celtics.
Anthony led the Magic in scoring, finishing with 26 points, six assists, and three rebounds off the bench. He shot 10-for-17 from the field, including four-of-nine from three-point range, and recorded a +32 plus/minus in just 20 minutes of action. After entering the fourth quarter with only six points, Anthony exploded for 20 in the final frame, spearheading a 41-22 quarter that sealed Orlando’s win.
“I found myself in a situation where the ball was in my hands,” Anthony said postgame. “I was fortunate enough to have some teammates who put me in a situation where I was able to get some easy shots. You know, I was in a situation where I could get them a few easy shots and I just felt good. It had been a great game and for us, this is a game where we didn’t want to let this go… this is dang near one-and-done. Obviously, we would’ve had another opportunity if we would’ve lost tonight, but for us, there wasn’t losing tonight. That wasn’t an option.”
Cole Anthony fuels Magic’s Play-In win over Hawks after turbulent regular season
Anthony’s performance came in the midst of a challenging season in which he averaged career-lows in points (9.4), rebounds (3.0), and minutes (18.4) across 67 appearances. Despite the statistical dip, the fifth-year guard showed his resilience and value in the most crucial moment of the Magic’s season.
“It’s been an up and down year for him,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “I mean, 26 points tonight, but just his energy, his spark, his juice… what he provides for this team coming off that bench, he plays fearlessly and that’s how we need him to continue to play. It’s been up and down because there’s been moments when — we talked about it earlier in the year — he was out of the rotation and then he found a way. The next time down, he walks himself back in and helps us win the Miami game. That’s just who he is. His resiliency, his toughness, his spark that he gives this team off the bench, it’s just what we need.”
The Magic saw a 22-point first-half lead dwindle to just three points late in the third quarter, with the Hawks mounting a brief comeback. Orlando entered the fourth leading 79-73, but behind Anthony’s offensive burst, they quickly put the game out of reach.
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“We got off to a hot start… they went on their own run, I think cut it to four in the third quarter and we weathered the storm,” Anthony said. “We didn’t let them back in the game from that point on and we just kept playing our game… we got stops, we pushed the pace, and we held a really good offensive team to what, 90 points? So, I mean that’s high level right there.”
Magic prepare for first-round clash with defending champion Celtics
The Magic will now turn their focus to the Boston Celtics, who finished the regular season with a 61-21 record and are looking to defend their 2024 NBA title. The first-round series opens Sunday at TD Garden, with Game 1 scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
“It’s gonna be a heck of a series, man. I actually went to the championship game, the final game in Boston last year,” Anthony said. “I got to really see how that environment was firsthand, and that is probably the craziest environment of a game I’ve seen. So I just can’t wait to get out there. I can’t wait to play. I’m just excited for this team and we have a great opportunity ahead of us, and I know everyone’s excited… I know we’re not gonna take this for granted.”
The Celtics led the league in three-pointers made per game (17.8) while shooting 36.8% from deep on 48.2 attempts. Boston also averaged 116.8 points per game. Orlando countered this season with the league’s top-ranked defense in points allowed (105.5), and also allowed the fewest threes made per game (11.4), though opponents still shot 36.5% from long range.
“Obviously, we want to limit their threes. I think that’s gonna be the main thing,” Anthony said. “They’ve done what we want to do and so I think for us it’s just gonna be a great opportunity… I just can’t wait to get out there.”
