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After Friday's big victory over the Cavs I was pretty interested to see how the rest of the league would view the Magic.
John Schuhmann, NBA.com, No. 2
Wednesday's four-point loss to the Raptors was the wake-up call. Friday's 29-point win over the Cavs was the statement. The Magic are now 6-3 against the Celtics, Lakers and Cavs, with two wins over each of the other "elite" teams. So let's put them back in that category too.
Shaky as they looked in their recent wins over beat-up Boston, there was nothing iffy about what the Magic just did to Cleveland and Atlanta. Maybe the drop-off from Jameer to Rafer isn't nearly as steep as people think.
John Hollinger, NBA.com, No. 1
The numbers don't lie.
Chris Colston, USA Today, No. 4
Statement game vs. Cavs: Magic say SUPE is MVP.
I'm not sure who SUPE is, and I have no idea how the Magic can be ranked behind the Celtics.
Orlando Magic (57-19)
To win or not to win: That is the question for the Magic. Orlando is just a half game behind Boston for the No. 2 seed and home-court advantage in the second round. But with that seed brings a potential first-round matchup with the Pistons, who have ousted Orlando in the last two postseasons and are 3-0 against the Magic this season. The No. 3 seed offers a possible matchup with Miami, which has dropped three of four to the Magic this season.
Eric Pincus, Hoopsworld.com, No. 3
Destroying the Cavaliers on Friday was absolutely impressive. The Magic almost deserve to leapfrog Cleveland in the rankings . .
Geoffrey C. Arnold, The Oregonian, No. 3
3. Orlando (3) -- Dwight Howard posts ninth 20-20 (points, rebounds) game of season in win against Hawks.
OMD's Take: It's amazing what a big win can do for a team's national perception. When the Magic knocked off the Celtics a few weeks ago it, the experts lined up to make excuses for the defending champs. But with the dominating victory over the Cavs, the Magic left little ammunition for their detractors.
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