Undermanned and overwhelmed on paper entering Tuesday night’s NBA Cup game, the Orlando Magic were perceived by some to be just another step in the Milwaukee Bucks’ path.

Orlando is enduring without Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner — two stars who go a long way toward equalizing the talent pool on any given night. Banchero has been absent for nearly six weeks with a torn right oblique. Wagner suffered the same injury this past Friday.

The Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and winners of eight of their past 10 games, were heavy favorites to advance to a second consecutive NBA Cup semifinal berth. But here came the Magic with their snarling defense, the equalizer that can make any game a competitive street fight.

To make the knockout round games feel more significant, they get national TV billing and the rest of the league has the night off. In other words, a showcase game for this Orlando team.

The Bucks ultimately won Tuesday’s nailbiter, 114-109, but observers around the league were effusive with their praise for the Magic.

“Listen, Orlando, give coach [Jamahl] Mosley a lot of credit,” Charles Barkley said on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” after the game. “These guys balled out.”

TNT’s pre-game, halftime and post-game shows were bullish on the Magic. Barkley, Kenny Smith, former Magic icon Shaquille O’Neal and host Ernie Johnson each acknowledged that Orlando was a clear underdog in the bout.

In Orlando’s two previous national TV games this season — Nov. 1 at Cleveland and Dec. 3 at New York — the Magic were dismantled without much resistance. But what the “Inside” crew and a national NBA audience saw Tuesday night was a Magic team that proved it’s worthy of attention.

Smith called Jalen Suggs, the fourth-year guard who scored a career-high 32 points in defeat, a future All-Star.

Smith then posed his colleagues a question: Are the Magic on a path comparable to the Oklahoma City Thunder from two years ago?

“I think the Orlando Magic, when they’re healthy … they’re the new OKC,” Barkley said. “To me, in my opinion, I still believe in the Knicks and the Cavs are playing great. But the team, if they could ever get healthy, they would be scary to play. Because what’s gonna happen; they got a bad break with Wagner going out, because now, when you watched them play in the playoffs last year, they just gave everything to Paolo and he was making some mental mistakes down the stretch. Those other guys are gaining confidence now. Suggs is gaining confidence. This team is going to be very dangerous.”

“I like the fact that Orlando, with players in [and] out, you really have to put them away to beat them,” O’Neal said. “We all expect[ed] Milwaukee to blow them out, but coach Mose said it — the effort that they play with, how they play, how they play together, you really have to put this team away. So, to answer your question, yes they are the OKC of [the East.] If guys keep getting confident like that, they’ll definitely be a good team.

“And,” O’Neal added, “I think they’re better than the Knicks.”

Both Lillard and Bobby Portis – instrumental in Milwaukee’s victory over Orlando – also spoke to the Magic’s effort Tuesday night.

“I’ve watched Orlando play a lot of times,” Lillard said. “Seeing Paolo go out and how they play from there, and then you see Franz go out, then they go out and beat the Suns. I think when they got all their guys they’re still a tough team. But I think their identity has nothing to do with how skilled or talented they are. They’re tough; they play hard [and] physical. They crash the offensive glass. They do things together and they’re well-coached. We knew coming in that this was going to be a tough game regardless of who was out there because of that. I think you just gotta give them their respect, just know[ing] that’s who they are and that’s why they give themselves a good chance and why their record (17-10, third in the East) is what it is.”

“Shoutout to a tough, young Magic team, without their two best players, giving us a tough dogfight,” Portis said.

After Orlando’s win over Phoenix on Sunday, Suns guard Bradley Beal said that he’s been impressed from afar with the Magic’s season-over-season turnaround.

“Very impressive. Very impressive. In terms of coaching, I think that has a lot to do with Mose,” Beal said. “I was a huge fan of Mose even when I was in D.C., and in his time in Cleveland … even before that. I have known him for a long time. A huge fan of his and what he is doing. It is a testament to him and the way they’ve built this team. You have franchise pieces in Franz and Paolo, and even J. Suggs, so they have some talent.”

The Magic’s next-man-up mentality has never faced a steeper challenge. But they’re not content with moping around until Banchero and Wagner return.

The NBA can’t help but notice. Basketball fans saw that grit on Tuesday.

Follow ‘Orlando Magic on SI‘ on Facebook and like our page. Follow Magic beat reporter Mason Williams on Twitter/X @mvsonwilliams. Also, bookmark our homepage so you never miss a story.