After logging 42 minutes in a commanding 98-74 victory over the Orlando Magic last March, New York Knicks guard Josh Hart sat at his Madison Square Garden locker, catching his breath and reflecting on the night.

The victory snapped Orlando's five-game win streak. But, equally important -- if not more so -- to Hart, it denied the Magic's attempt at fulfilling a ritual.

Since November 2023, Orlando has celebrated each victory with a social media video, often teasing fans with a "you want to hear the song?" post first. The final score graphic is paired with an up-tempo catchy chorus that goes, "Orlando Magic, Orlando Magic, Orlando Magic, oh, oh, oh, ohhhhhh."

Hart didn't shy away from expressing his pleasure about making it disappear, at least for that night. When asked about the importance of defeating the Magic, it didn't take him long to explain.

"It was so important because I didn't want to see Orlando Magic post on TikTok [of] their song with some cows dancing," he said.

Josh Hart says it was important for the Knicks to win tonight so he wouldn't see the Magic post a TikTok with the dancing cows

Stay tuned for Josh's rendition of the Orlando Magic song pic.twitter.com/EFHfWSPo9M

Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 9, 2024

Though Hart called the song "a banger," Orlando didn't forget what motivated him.

When the Magic defeated the Knicks on Jan. 6, they posted a clip of Hart's comments. As the song's beat dropped, cows danced in the background.

It's just one example of how Orlando's post-win song has turned into a social media phenomenon, bringing new fans for a young, rising team.

According to data provided by the Magic to ESPN, as of Jan. 13, they have published the song 700 times on TikTok. It has led to 174 million impressions and 154 million video views -- 66 million of which have come on the "For You" page.

The posts have reached momentous heights due to a catchy spin on a track that served as the Magic's original theme song in 1989.

"It's a really cool tradition ..." Magic guard Jalen Suggs told ESPN. "In a serious game, and at points and time a serious season, you [can] allow yourself to let go a bit, you know, kind of have fun, smile and just enjoy the song."

Ahead of its first season in 1989, Orlando worked with Gettings Production on a track for the player introductions video and on-court dance performances. Glenn Gettings wrote the song then found a local performer from Disney to sing it.

The performer from the original song is the voice behind the catchy: "Orlando Magic, oh, oh, ohhhhhh." They also sing a two-line verse that includes: "Abracadabra, razzamatazz. Slam Dunk sesame," then finish the rhyme with "Hocus pocus, alakazam/Gonna set the spirit free."

"It feels very 80s," Shelly Wilkes, Orlando's executive vice president of marketing and social responsibility, told ESPN. "And for some reason, it has just taken off."

At some point, they stopped utilizing the song in the arena. Staff members every now and then would lobby for its return, but the answer was always no, according to Wilkes.

Fans didn't forget about it, either. In November 2021, ESPN's Kevin Clark posted a clip of a live performance of the song. Clark expressed that the track didn't receive enough appreciation.

It quickly went viral. Within an hour, the Magic's X page reposted it, writing: "1000 RT and we'll play this during tomorrow's game." No more than 20 minutes later, the post surpassed that mark.

1000 RT and we'll play this during tomorrow's game https://t.co/WWjqHV3AG9

Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 12, 2021

Orlando played it in its next home game and the song started to gain more traction on social media. In her 20 years with the franchise, Wilkes said it hadn't used the song any time prior to that night.

In January 2022, the Magic began posting different variations on social media around "play that song" or "hit the music." Orlando didn't use it in a post-victory meme format until December 2022 after defeating the Atlanta Hawks. The song was featured on TikTok with a graphic of the score and video in the back.

Everything changed during the 2023-24 season. On Nov. 2, 2023, the Magic began posting it regularly and it took off.

"It gained so much traction because they were so silly, really," Wilkes said.

The first victory post of the 2023-24 season included a clip of streamer Kai Cenat dancing with the theme song playing in the background.

It was a result of the Magic's hard work in the offseason.

Seven social content creators do the bulk of the work on the post-win edits. Leading up to the 2023 season, the Magic's social media content creation team began stocking up on viral videos. It resulted in a shared folder of content the team relies on after each win.

"They're seeing everything that's out there and they're just clipping out this content that's going viral or that they think is funny or that can have some sort of relationship to the opposing team or other cultural conversations," Wilkes said.

Members of the team will pitch a video idea and put it together ahead of an upcoming game. The team will go through that library of videos to prepare, but -- based on how the game is going -- can make adjustments. That night's opponent often dictates the direction of the video, too.

The Toronto Raptors were the target of a video that included someone failing to open a bottle of champagne, followed by an impersonator of Canadian rapper Drake.

TURN ME UP https://t.co/Ncly9XTYbr pic.twitter.com/2e6vaLnI7y

Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) January 4, 2025

"When I say I'm a little too old to find these videos even," Wilkes joked. "Some of them I'm like, 'What is even happening?' But they always make you laugh, and I think part of it is the edit. They always find the beat drop to make something crazy happen in the edit."

Memes aside, the track has remained a constant, though it has evolved through several versions since Orlando reintroduced it.

The franchise partnered with Grammy-award winner Ayo the Producer ahead of the 2023-24 season. Ayo added a beat in the back that remained throughout the campaign. This season, after looking at different remixes of the song, Orlando opted to go back to the original version.

Wilkes explained they thought the original made the most sense. She did reveal the team is working on a Brazilian remix for the Magic's Portuguese language accounts.

What made the posts take off last season is simple: Orlando kept winning. More wins, 47 regular-season ones to be exact, meant more opportunities for fans to have "oh, oh, ohhhhhh" stuck in their head.

"It's an easy thing to be in support of, especially after a win. It doesn't matter, regular season or playoffs [it's] just the energy that it brings in itself," Suggs said.

Taking inspiration from the Sacramento Kings' "light the beam" phenomenon of the 2022-23 season, Wilkes and her team sought to create their own victory tradition that would bridge the gap between social media and the in-arena experience. By February 2024, they had developed their answer: Bringing players and fans together through post-win video reveals on the court.

That reveal is then turned into its own social post, creating a celebration that connects players directly with fans both in-person and online.

YEAAA DELL PLAY THE SONG pic.twitter.com/Z41YrbNNbI

Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 28, 2024

The tradition of players like Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., and Tristan da Silva hopping to a board amid "play the song" chants has spread beyond Orlando, with even the Buffalo Bills and Italian soccer giants Juventus adopting the melody for their own social media posts.

Suggs called it something that connects players and fans alike.

"To understand that you've come out tonight and handled business, you get to leave the court with a win. Then, in unison, we can all not only celebrate the dub [or] celebrate the song but celebrate being one unit, one sound," he said.

As it has grown, players are more aware.

A month prior to Hart's comments, his teammate, Jalen Brunson, gave credit to the Magic social team.

Gotta give credit to the magic social team. Every time I open TikTok I hear "Orlando magic oooooooooooooo" literally every single time

Jalen Brunson (@jalenbrunson1) February 15, 2024

Even after Hart jokingly said he hoped to avoid being featured, he revealed his own obsession with the song.

*Opens TikTok, Goes to Orlando Magic Page*

Josh Hart (@joshhart) May 4, 2024

"Getting that kind of reaction and popularity is really cool for us and it helps us celebrate those wins," Wilkes said. "It makes our wins an even bigger deal for the players and the team, right? Because it's getting this extra attention around winning."

For opposing players though, the earworm isn't a good thing. No matter how catchy, it's not as fun being on the receiving end of it. The song could serve as enough motivation to get the victory and not hear it -- just like it did for Hart.

Suggs believes otherwise. The magic is too strong to ignore.

"It's just a cool thing, like when you hear a good beat wherever [you are], how can you not nod your head?" Suggs said. "They found a great beat, good words behind it and it's Orlando Magic; it is us ... so how can you not love and support it?"

Suggs and Orlando's next chance to hear their theme song could be after their Friday night matchup against the Boston Celtics at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The Boston Celtics entered Friday with the shortest odds on the board (+200) to win the NBA championship at ESPN BET.

But should the Celtics really be the favorite? Although the Celtics have played well overall this season, there are two teams that have clearly been better through the first half. The Celtics currently have as many losses at 28-12 as the Thunder (34-6, +250 to win) and the Cavaliers (34-6, +750 to win) combined. In fact, through 40 games, both the Thunder and the Cavs remain on pace to win 70 games. Each.

The Celtics go into Friday night's game against the Orlando Magic having lost three of their last five games, and six of 12. Those last three defeats have come by a combined 43 points with each loss by at least 13 points, including the thrashing handed to them by the 10-31 Raptors on Wednesday.

Why are the Celtics still favored to win?

Some of it is inertia. The Celtics won last season's championship pretty routinely. They won the Eastern Conference by a whopping 14 games, and were seven games clear of the Thunder out West for the best record in the NBA. They were never really challenged in the playoffs, either, winning 16 of 19 games on their way to the title. Then, they won 16 of their first 19 games in dominant fashion to start this season and the narrative set in that they were the class of the NBA.

For for the last month-and-a-half, as the sports world has worked its way through the end of the NFL season and the College Football Playoff, the mindset that the Celtics are still "champs in waiting" has persisted ... largely under the radar. No one was really talking much about them, allowing their championship aura to largely go undented until their recent struggles.

Offense: An over-reliance on the 3-pointer

So, now people are paying a bit of attention. And if you look closer, there are some warning signs for these Celtics. They led the NBA in team offensive rating last season (123.2 points per 100 possessions). They still have the third-best offense in the NBA this season with 119.7 points per 100, but they are the only team in the NBA that shoots more from behind the arc (49.3 3PA) than inside the arc (41.6 2PA) each game. When the 3-pointers are going in, they can barrage teams right off the court. But against quality defenses, or when it's just a cooler shooting night, the Celtics don't currently have a balanced enough offense to be able to win those games.

And they just aren't shooting all that efficiently from deep, ranking 15th in the NBA with a 36.2% team 3-point percentage. As a result, the East-leading Cavaliers are only making 1.7 fewer 3-pointers per game than the Celtics (16.2 3PG vs 17.9 3PG) even though the Cavs are taking almost nine fewer attempts per game (40.5 3PA vs 49.3 3PA). The Cavs have much more balance, featuring two all-star caliber big men in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, in addition to their two all-star guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. As a result, they almost match the Celtics' 3-point volume but also sport the best shooting percentages in the NBA from both inside (58.6 2P%) and outside (39.9 3P%) the arc.

Defense: The Thunder is better

And on the other end of the court, the Celtics have slid from third in the NBA in defensive rating last season to seventh (110.8 points allowed per 100 possessions), while their main competitor, the Thunder, are dominating the league on defense. Their Defensive Rating of 103.6 points allowed per 100 possessions is almost four points better than the second place Magic, and are a full seven points better than the Celtics.

The Thunder have maintained their dominant defense despite consistent injuries to either one or both of their star big men at the same time. Chet Holmgren was one of the leading shot-blockers in the NBA (2.6 BPG) before injuring his hip 10 games in, and Isaiah Hartenstein has been one of the leading rebounders in the NBA (12.2 RPG) in the 24 games he has played between injuries. But the Thunder haven't had both their bigs together at any one time, and they throttled the Cavaliers on Thursday night despite having neither of their bigs.

Futures angles

Many don't believe that what happens in the regular season matters, that it's only the playoffs that count. And until the playoffs begin, the only memory people have of the Celtics is their dominant run to the championship. But the Cavaliers (+750) and the Thunder (+200) are both built to play with a style and effectiveness that has historically been better in the playoffs than what the Celtics have shown us this season with their reliance up on scoring 3s.

While the Celtics have earned their spot as one of the top three contenders for this season's championship, their current odds don't make them a good futures value compared to the other two. The Thunder are in the West, where there isn't another dominant team this season, so they have a clearer path to the championship than the Celtics, and because they share a conference with the Cavaliers, Boston would have to potentially go through both Cleveland and Oklahoma City to win the championship.

The Thunder and Cavaliers are the better betting values

Given this path and that they still have longer odds, the Thunder have better value at +250 than the Celtics at +200. Meanwhile, the Cavs may not have the Celtics' experience, but they've held their dominance for long enough to be at least the co-favorite from the Eastern Conference. However, they are getting significantly more juice than the Celtics right now, making them the best value among the three top contenders for the championship.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Athletics agreed to terms on a $10 million, one-year contract Friday with former Texas right-hander Jose Leclerc.

The 31-year-old Leclerc went 6-5 with a 4.32 ERA and one save in 64 relief appearances for the Rangers last season. He struck out 89 batters in 66 2/3 innings and held righties to a .193 batting average.

Leclerc has spent his entire career in the majors with Texas since making his debut in 2016. He is 12-20 with a 3.27 ERA and 41 saves in 350 career appearances. He has averaged 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings over his career.

He was limited two two games in 2020, the last on July 26, because of a torn right teres major muscle. Leclerc missed the next season following Tommy John surgery on March 30, 2021, and returned to a big league mound on June 18, 2022.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the A's designated right-hander Will Klein for assignment.

Saracens: Daly; Elliott, Lozowski, Tompkins, Segun; Burke, Van Zyl; Mawi, Dan, Balmain, Itoje (capt), Tizard; Gonzalez, Earl, Willis.

Replacements: George, Brantingham, Riccioni, Michelow, Knight, Simpson, Hartley, Hall.

Castres: Chabouni; Hulleu, Seguret (capt), Cocagi, Raisuqe; Le Brun, Doubrere; Guerois-Galisson, Colonna, Corato, Maravat, Jedrasiak, Moore-Aiono, Meka, Tukino.

Replacements: Zarantonello, De Benedittis, Azar, Macurdy, Peysson, Perrone, Dupont, Zeghdar

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)

Manchester United legend Denis Law has died, his family confirmed in a statement on Friday. He was 84.

Law is widely regarded as one of the greatest figures in the club's history, remembered for his part in an infamous "United Trinity" partnership with Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best, with the trio immortalised in a statue outside Old Trafford.

United did not specify the cause of Law's death. He revealed in 2021 that he was suffering with dementia.

"It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle but finally he is now at peace," Law's family said in a statement published by United.

"We would like to thank everyone who contributed to his wellbeing and care, past and much more recently. We know how much people supported and loved him and that love was always appreciated and made the difference. Thank you."

Law also won 54 international caps with Scotland, scoring 31 times. He began his career at Huddersfield Town, had two spells at Manchester City and spent a season at Italian side Torino.

However, it is the 404 appearances he made for United between 1962 and 1973 for which he is most remembered. Most of those games came under Sir Matt Busby as the club rebuilt following the 1958 Munich Air Disaster.

Law was a part of the United side that won the English top flight in 1965 and 1967 as well as the European Cup in 1968 -- a first for an English club.

He also only the second British recipient of the Ballon d'Or, winning the individual award in 1964.

United said in a statement: "Everyone at Manchester United is mourning the loss of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, who has passed away, aged 84."

"With 237 goals in 404 appearances, he will always be celebrated as one of the club's greatest and most beloved players. The ultimate goal-scorer, his flair, spirit and love for the game made him the hero of a generation. Our deepest condolences go out to Denis's family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more."

Law's 46 goals in the 1963-64 season remains a single-season record for United. His 237 goals for the club is bettered only by Charlton and Wayne Rooney, though his goals-per-game ratio is higher.

His 30 goals for Scotland is matched only by Kenny Dalglish, though was achieved in just 55 games compared to Dalglish's 102.

However, a goal he scored against United is arguably his most famous. In one of the last games of his career, Law was playing for rivals City at Old Trafford in United's penultimate game of the 1973-74 season.

His late goal -- an audacious back-heel flick he insisted was "a fluke" -- meant United lost 1-0 and helped ensure relegation to the second division just six years after being crowned European champions.

Law did not celebrate his goal and was substituted with head bowed as United fans invaded the pitch before the game restarted.

A player who would become fondly referred to as "The Lawman," Law left his northern Scotland hometown of Aberdeen as a skinny 15-year-old with poor eyesight. He became a feared penalty-area predator and a pioneer in a modernising world of European football.

By the age of 22, both United and City had paid an English-record transfer fee to sign Law, and he had played one season in Italy -- an exotic change of culture at that time, though he disliked the defensive nature of Serie A.

He returned from Torino in 1962 to begin an 11-year stint at Old Trafford that helped re-establish United as an international power under manager Busby.

Law joined a club that was still rebuilding from the airplane crash at Munich four years earlier. It tragically took the lives of most of Busby's then-dominant team, which was returning from a European Cup game.

Law's prolific scoring helped United win the FA Cup in 1963 for its first trophy since the Munich disaster, and then two league titles in three seasons.

Redemption for Busby's United was becoming European champions a decade after the tragedy.

Though Best and Charlton scored in the final, a 4-1 extra-time win over Benfica, Law missed the game at London's Wembley Stadium due to a knee injury that persisted in his career.

He had his own signature Wembley moment one year earlier. He scored Scotland's first goal in a 3-2 victory to inflict England's first loss since winning the 1966 World Cup final nine months previously.

Only in one of his last games would Law finally play at the World Cup, in 1974 in West Germany.

Then a 34-year-old veteran, Law was selected for Scotland's opening match, a 2-0 win against Zaire. He was not picked for subsequent drawn games against Brazil and Yugoslavia as Scotland was eliminated.

Law retired in August 1974, by which time he had etched his name into football history. After his playing career, Law worked as a TV pundit and presenter.

Law recovered from prostate cancer in November 2003 and was later awarded a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016 for services to football and charity.

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens did not rule out Zay Flowers for Sunday's divisional playoff game at the Buffalo Bills, listing him as doubtful even though the Pro Bowl wide receiver did not practice all week.

"I think he'll have a chance," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after Friday's practice.

Flowers hasn't practiced since injuring his right knee during Baltimore's regular-season finale on Jan. 4 against the Cleveland Browns. He was the only Ravens player who did not participate in Friday's practice.

But Flowers is making progress. He held a workout before Friday's practice where he did some running while wearing a brace. The Ravens later posted part of that workout on their social media, which is something the team doesn't typically do.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said it would be a "huge challenge" if Flowers can't play.

"He is a guy that has been with us all season long [and has] been making things happen for us," Jackson said, "What he brings to the game -- we're going to miss that. But we have guys who are locked in and are ready to step up to the plate for us."

In his second season, Flowers led Baltimore with 74 receptions and 1,059 receiving yards. With Flowers sidelined in the wild-card round, Jackson completed 16-of-21 passes (76.1%) for 175 yards passing and two touchdowns in a 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson spread the ball around, completing multiple passes to five different players.

If Flowers can't play, it will mark the first time that he will miss consecutive games.

"Hopefully, Zay will be able to go, but if not, we have a lot of really good players," Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. "We're fortunate. We have a lot of really good players, and we anticipate them playing well."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans plan to hire Mike Borgonzi to be their next general manager, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Borgonzi served the previous 16 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Borgonzi has been the Chiefs assistant general manager for the past four years. He'll replace former Titans general manager Ran Carthon, who held the position for two seasons.

The Chiefs promoted Borgonzi to assistant general manager in 2021. He served three seasons as the Chiefs' director of football operations (2018-20) and one season as the director of player personnel in 2017.

Kansas City hired Borgonzi to be their college scouting administrator in 2009. He went on to be their manager of football operations in 2010, then pro personnel scout from 2011 to 2012. Borgonzi spent 2013 and 2014 as the assistant director of pro scouting before becoming co-director of player personnel from 2015 to 2016.

Before joining the Chiefs, Borgonzi was the assistant recruiting coordinator at Boston College (2007-08). Boston College played in the ACC championship twice and won the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl while Borgonzi was there.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida assistant coach Taurean Green will continue working the men's basketball team despite being accused of sexual assault.

Head coach Todd Golden said Green "will be with us" when the fifth-ranked Gators host Texas on Saturday. Golden, who remains the subject of a Title IX investigation himself, also ripped into a process that is supposed to be confidential.

"I would suggest people do not rush to judgment based off a headline," Golden said Friday. "For me, I am just frustrated and disappointed that a Title IX mechanism that is created to protect both sides during a situation like this -- that confidentiality and privacy continues to be abused.

"So as frustrating and as disappointing and as hard as it is to do, I am going to do what I think I need to do and continue to respect the process, as I have."

Golden's comments came one day after ESPN reported that a formal complaint was filed with the school's Title IX office accusing Green of kissing an athletic department employee and trying to put his hand down her pants in March 2024. ESPN reviewed a copy of the complaint.

The woman, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, pulled Green's hand away, said no and left. She told ESPN she had never been alone with Green previously and had only exchanged casual greetings with him on campus.

The woman said she did not report the alleged incident at the time in part because of Green's status. Green, who won NCAA championships as a player with the Gators in 2006 and 2007, joined the basketball staff in 2022 following a professional basketball career.

The woman told ESPN she came forward after Title IX investigators working on Golden's case asked to interview her last fall about Golden's interactions with female athletes. She said that inquiry made her realize there could be concerns about a pattern of behavior.

The woman told ESPN she first reported her allegations in mid-December to Florida deputy athletics director Amy Meyers Hass.

It came while the university is still investigating a Sept. 27 Title IX complaint against Golden that includes allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking, according to copies of the complaint.

The complaint accuses Golden of sending photos and videos of his genitalia, making unwanted sexual advances on Instagram and requesting sexual favors.

Title IX is designed to protect students from discrimination, including sexual harassment. Florida outsources its Title IX investigations to Grand River Solutions, a private firm based in California.

Golden initially signed a six-year, $18 million contract to take over at Florida and agreed to a two-year extension in March 2024 that will keep him at Florida through the 2029-30 season. His contract prohibits "romantic, amorous and/or sexual relationships between any coach or other employee of the Association and any student athlete or other person subject to the supervision, control and/or authority of such coach or other employee."

The contract also says the university can take disciplinary action if the coach acts in a manner "that has an 'adverse effect' or causes an 'adverse reflection,' on the reputation, mission and/or interests" of the athletic department or the university.

Golden praised his team for "staying the course and working hard."

"Obviously, it is not ideal, but at the same time, I think we've done a pretty good job this year of staying the course and keeping winning the main thing with the way we've played and the way we've performed," he said. "I believe we will continue to do that on a day-to-day basis."