With its places after the season almost canceled, Indiana Pacers and visiting Orlando Magic can choose to rest some starters when the team meets on Friday night.
Indiana (49-31) dressed a top-four seed and home plan advantage in the first round of the playoffs with an 114-112 home victory over Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.
“Congratulations to the guys,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “Congratulations to the fans that was a big part of it. But it’s not a destination. It’s simply a tool.”
Indiana has No. 4 seed in the eastern conference and tracks No. 3 New York Knicks (50-30) with a game with two matches left. Knicks would pass the No. 3 seed with either a victory or an Indiana loss.
Orlando (40-40) dressed the no.
Magin has won four straight matches and will host No. 8 seed – either Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls or Atlanta Hawks – on Tuesday.
“Extremely proud of this group,” said Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley. “More than anything, being able to endure through all the things – the injuries, the guys in, guys out – and still get away … give yourself a safe seventh for the opportunity to enter the playoffs (is commendable).”
Franz Wagner scored 23 points and Cole Anthony added 18 in the victory over Boston, who rested most of his regulars. Wagner has 20 or more points in 12 straight matches.
“It was a good team gain,” Anthony said. “Everyone contributed. It was not very close to play. Obviously they did not play a majority of their guys, but this is the league. And every time you go to court and handle business it is a plus. Big screams for the team. It is a good win, and we must continue to build on this.”
Orlando has won two of the three meetings with Indiana this season. The team met most recently on November 13, when Wagner made a game high 29 points in Magics victory 94-90.
When he entered the Friday game, Orlando listed the Wendell Carter Jr. (hip), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (knee), Cory Joseph (knee), Paolo Banchero (Ankel) and Wagner (knee) as doubtful.
Caldwell-Pope was limited to seven minutes against Boston because of his sore left knee.
Indiana has won six straight matches and needs another victory to secure its first 50-victory season since 2013-14. After fighting early in the season, Pacers is 33-13 since the calendar turned to 2025.
“It is special for us to know what we have gone through to come here,” said Indiana point guard Tyrese Haliburton. “We’re a game away from a 50-victory season. It’s a special year, especially how it started. We don’t take it easy.”
Haliburton had 23 points, eight returns, 10 assists and three blocks in Thursday’s victory over Cleveland, which rested four starters. Pacers improved to 25-3 this season when Haliburton gets 20 or more points.
Aaron Nesmith had 22 points and Jarace Walker added 15 against Cavaliers. Myles Turner finished with 13 points, seven returns and four blocks.
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