The loss does not rule the Mystics out of title contention, with both sides advancing through to the semifinals under the new finals format. But blocking their path to the grand final are Australian conference winners, Queensland Firebirds, who are unbeaten since round one this season.
The Auckland side will take on the Firebirds in Brisbane on Sunday afternoon, while the Magic will host the NSW Swifts later in the day in the second semifinal.
The Magic, who pulled off a gruelling overtime win against the Steel in the weekend's elimination final, had just two days to recover. The tight turnaround raised doubts as to whether star defender Casey Kopua would be ready as her workload continues to be carefully managed as she returns from a serious knee injury.
But Kopua once again defied expectations, playing 60 minutes at goal defence in her first full match since she returned to the court three weeks ago.
The frenetic pace of the match and the physicality in the Mystics shooting circle ensured Kopua received her most thorough examination yet, and the Silver Ferns star produced a gallant effort, picking up six deflections and generally heavily involved on defence.
The Auckland side caught the Magic off-guard with a rampant opening quarter when the two sides last met back in round 12, holding a nine-goal lead by the end of the first spell. The Mystics didn't win another quarter after that, but their opening 15-minute blitz proved enough to carry them through for the win.
That game perhaps told the story of the Mystics entire season - brilliant in patches, indifferent in others, but just enough to get them by.
After their previous encounter the Magic did not let the Mystics get the jump on them again, and ensured they matched the home side's intensity from the outset. In a high-scoring opening to the match dominated by the shooters, the two sides went goal-for-goal, then three-goal flurry for three-goal flurry.
The Magic noses were just in front, 16-15 at quarter-time, but the visitors broke free early in the second spell, opening the quarter with a 5-0 run as the reunited defensive pairing of Kopua and Leana de Bruin began to find their spark.
The Mystics were able to reset themselves on attack however, with midcourt general Laura Langman doing a good job of settling the play and taking a more patient approach. Langman and fellow midcourter Serena Guthrie were also influential on defence.
The extra defensive gains helped the Mystics square the ledger at 28-28 heading into the second half. But they could not maintain their rhythm, as the Magic pegged a five-goal deficit back to two heading into the final period.
