A valiant second half wasn't enough for the Splice Construction Magic to overcome a disappointing second-quarter performance against the Central Pulse in Round 13 of the ANZ Premiership on Sunday night.
The second quarter was the only one the Magic lost but unfortunately, the Pulse won it convincingly, pushing out to a lead of 12 goals at one point. The Magic won the second half by three goals, but the Pulse came out victorious in the end with a score of 55-51.
Despite the four-goal win, the Pulse have been officially ruled out of title contention, with the other Round 13 results pushing the Central side seven points behind the third-placed Stars.
With only two matches left in the regular season, the Magic are well and truly out of Finals Series contention, recording just one win from 13 outings.
It's been a disappointing season for the Magic - many predicted the side to be at the top of the ladder with a roster studded with stars and experienced players in every third of the court.
However, different issues plagued the team in every outing, sometimes being struck by weak starts, while at other times the result would drift out of their hands in the final quarter.