Orlando Magic Taking it 'One Game at a Time' Despite 8-Game Win Streak
While the NBA is a uniquely star-driven league, everyone is taking notice of the Orlando Magic. For the last several seasons, the Magic has been Florida’s second team and usually forgotten by NBA fans, as they failed to make any sort of meaningful noise.
This season is a different story. The Magic is riding an eight-game winning streak and hold the third-best record in the league, and second place in the Eastern Conference. Before the season started, the Magic had the 25th-best odds to win the Finals (+25000). Now, the team is the talk of the town.
If anyone should be taking in the moment, it should be Jamahl Mosley, the man who led Orlando to the second seed. However, the coach is opting to be more pragmatic.
"I'm sticking with one game at a time," Mosley said. "We got Washington again on Friday, so we'll have to prepare. Plan it the right way. Understand what adjustments we need to make. We'll enjoy this one tonight. But then we got to get to work tomorrow."
The Magic beat Washington by 19 points on Wednesday, which was to be expected. The Wizards are also getting a lot of attention this year, but none of it has been positive. On Friday, the Magic has to beat them again, maybe without Paolo Banchero.
While most fans have written the game off as an easy win, Mosley is trying to reign in his young roster. To the players' credit, they have been playing with maturity on the court, and holding themselves to a high standard off the court.
Anthony Black 'Wants to Do Great Things', Says Jamahl Mosley
The Magic doesn’t look like a flash in the pan. They are playing like legitimate contenders, and the Eastern Conference will run through Orlando for the next several seasons.