The Orlando Magic have discovered many classes the exhausting means via the season’s first 10 video games.
The lesson from Saturday’s heartbreaking residence loss to the Sacramento Kings? Don’t get too snug with having a big at any level of the sport.
Whereas Kings guard De’Aaron Fox’s 31-foot buzzer-beating 3-pointer in extra time gave his workforce the win, it was the Magic (2-8) blowing a 67-47 lead within the third quarter that allowed Sacramento (3-5) the chance to make it a detailed recreation.
“That third quarter we got here out a bit of bit lax,” coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned. “We’ve bought to come back out with the identical stage of focus and consistency of doing the very same factor.”
What did lax appear to be?
The Magic had been careless with the ball, turning it over 9 occasions within the third for 15 Sacramento factors that allowed the Kings to win the quarter 36-12.
Orlando didn't constantly get again on protection, making it simpler for the Kings to get simpler factors in transition. The Magic additionally didn't do the easy and little issues within the third quarter that they did within the first half to take a 65-47 lead at halftime.
“We had been up and we had been simply proud of being up,” Bol Bol mentioned. “We had been pondering they had been simply going to put down. It’s the NBA. Groups go on runs as shortly as 5 minutes, 12 minutes — there have been 24 minutes left to play. The momentum simply shifted once they got here out scorching.”
Orlando did properly battling again after relinquishing the lead and trailing 93-83 within the fourth.
Paolo Banchero (33 factors on 14-of-26 taking pictures, 15 rebounds and 4 assists for his first 30-point recreation) and Franz Wagner (31 factors on 13-of-22 taking pictures, 6 assists and 4 rebounds) led the workforce at totally different factors down the stretch, and that’s encouraging for his or her long-term progress.
The Magic confirmed combat and their resiliency has been evident all through the early components of the season.
They’ve performed eight video games which have included “clutch” minutes — when the scoring margin is inside 5 factors with 5 or fewer minutes remaining in a recreation. Their file in these video games is 1-7, exhibiting there are particulars they’re not taking addressing.
And for the Magic, it’s not simply in regards to the efficiency within the clutch. It’s understanding each a part of the sport impacts one other half.
“You simply bought to keep it up,” rookie huge man Banchero mentioned. “Acquired to tip your caps generally. We fought exhausting.”
The Magic will proceed their season-long seven-game homestand with a matchup in opposition to the Houston Rockets (1-9) on Monday night time.
Cole Anthony (torn proper inside indirect), Markelle Fultz (fractured left huge toe), Gary Harris (left knee harm restoration), Jonathan Isaac (left knee harm restoration) and Moe Wagner (sprained proper midfoot) stay sidelined.
The sport will tip off at 7:15 p.m. at Amway Heart and might be watched on Bally Sports activities Florida/Bally Sports activities+ or listened to on FM 96.9 The Recreation.
This text first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. E-mail Khobi Value at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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