Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley knows when to give credit when it is due. With that being said, he made sure to hand the Orlando Magic some well-deserved recognition following their Sunday showdown.
Despite the Bucks’ losing and dropping in the Eastern Conference standings, Beverley had nothing but respect and admiration for Orlando.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Orlando Magic
The Bucks entered the final game of the regular season with high hopes of winning and securing the no. 2 seed in the East. However, the Magic also had plenty of motivation as they looked to avoid dropping to the Play-In positions.
Sure enough, Orlando played with a purpose compared to Milwaukee, and that was evident as the Magic escaped with a dominant 113-88 victory.
Damian Lillard, who missed their previous game due to left adductor soreness, played but was largely ineffective in 30 minutes of action. He finished with 16 points on 2-of-14 shooting, with most of his points coming from the free throw line.
Without the injured Gianni Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee offense was just stagnant. None of the players scored more than 20 points, with Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis the top scorers for the team with 17 apiece.
On the other side, the Magic looked like a team playing for survival. Paolo Banchero was sensational with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven dimes–all while making 42.1 percent of his shots. Furthermore, Franz Wagner top-scored for Orlando with 26 to go along with five boards, three dimes and three steals.
A huge second quarter that saw the Magic outscore the Bucks 25-12 allowed the home team to pull away for good. With the win, Orlando secured the fifth seed in the East, setting up a first-round date with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Bucks are going to play the Indiana Pacers in the postseason opener, a team that has beaten them four out of five times during the 2023-24 season.
Patrick Beverley’s Message for Orlando Magic After Milwaukee Bucks Loss
Patrick Beverley, who finished with two points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal against the Orlando Magic, took to X after the game to show his respect for Paolo Banchero and Co.
In a classy message, he congratulated Orlando for making the playoffs and shared how much he loved the way they played Sunday night. Sure the Milwaukee Bucks lost, but it didn’t lessen the newfound respect PatBev has for their East rivals.
“Congrats 2 the Orlando Magic for making the playoffs. Love the way Yal played tonight. Do work in Playoffs,” Beverley wrote.
Sure enough, the Magic deserve plenty of credit. After being a lottery team in 2022-23 to being a Top 5 squad, they have definitely made huge strides.
The Bucks and Magic are on opposite sides of the NBA Playoffs bracket. And so for them to meet again in the postseason this 2024, they will have to make the conference finals. Regardless of what happens, though, both teams can be proud of what they have done so far.
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