After the Orlando Magic (32-27) dropped six of the past seven games in their last home stent, they seemed to have turned over a leaf. Winning three of the past five on their recent road trip which ended Friday, they are doing their best to ensure they host the likely play-in game.

The Magic cashed in two big wins against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers as top teams in the East as well as handling business with the New Orleans Pelicans. The only thing that their fans can hate about going 3-2 in that time was dropping the game against the Timberwolves in Minneapolis where Caleb Houstan connected on six of his eight three-point shots.

Observing those recent victories, here was the recipe for success that may be the key to a strong finish to close the year above .500

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner Must Combine for at Least 35 Points.

This is probably the most obvious piece for those following the Magic. Wagner and Banchero are the first duo in Orlando to each average more than 20 points per game since Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. The lowest combined total they chalked up during the recent road trip was 46 when Banchero scored “only” 24 points in Cleveland — his lowest total in those winning outings.

Banchero averaged 39 points during the five-game stretch finally showing evidence that he has fully recovered from his oblique injury. Wagner is also in that same state seeming to have shed struggles recovering from his oblique injury averaging just under 20 points in the past five games himself (19.6).

Making More Threes Than Their Opponent

The Magic are lowest in the league as a team in points per game scoring only 104.6 each outing heading into Wednesday night. They are also the squad with the fewest three-pointers made 10.9 made per game with 11.3 as the least allowed in the NBA.

So long as the Magic kept their opponents connected on fewer shots beyond the arc than them, Orlando found a path to victory. While they haven’t been great from downtown overall, Orlando looked better during this month of the season with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shooting nearly 48% in March heading into Wednesday night from three-point range.

Two Double-Digit Contributors

In each of the three victories in the road trip, there have been at least two other players with 10 or more points in contributions NOT named Banchero or Wagner.

Against the Bucks Anthony Black had 11 alongside of Cole Anothny’s 22. Corey Joseph (who started for an injured Anthony) and Pope both had 12 facing the Pelicans. Finally, against Cleveland Friday, Black had 17, Pope had 15, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 16 points.

Applying these rules to Wednesday’s outing hosting the Houston Rockets in a 116-108 loss, the Magic checked two of these boxes. Banchero and Wagner combined for 51, while the Magic got 10 or more points from Goga Bitadze, Pope, and Joseph. But Houston hitting 11 three-pointers compared to the Magic’s nine was one the part of the postulate that they didn’t follow.

Perhaps the Magic can handle their business traveling to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Wizards on Friday for the final time this season before returning home Monday to host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.