Magic Burned by Late-Game Miscommunication in Loss to Grizzlies

The Orlando Magic's potential game-winning possession went to waste when confusion about using a timeout forced Paolo Banchero to scramble for a look. The Magic lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, 105-104.

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley motions to the court during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Kia Center. / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. — Late-game confusion and miscommunication spoiled the Orlando Magic's final possession in a 105-104 loss Friday night to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Here was the situation: With 10.7 seconds left in the game, Memphis led Orlando 105-104. Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama was at the free-throw line for two shots.

Aldama, a 70 percent shooter who was attempting his first competitive free throws in nearly two weeks, missed the first shot. Magic center Goga Bitadze checked in for Cole Anthony.

Aldama then missed the second free throw and Paolo Banchero rebounded, but he and his four teammates paused. Multiple players motioned for a timeout, but none was given. So, the third-year forward dribbled up the floor as the clock dwindled. Magic players scrambled to fill lanes alongside him. The basketball never left Banchero's hands.

With four seconds left, Banchero was still 25 feet from the basket with a hand in his face and no options. He drove left along the lane against defense from Brandon Clarke, Aldama and Jaren Jackson Jr. The final shot, a contested 8-foot leaner in traffic, was deflected by Jackson.

In the first game of a critical seven-game homestand, the Magic frittered away an opportunity to beat the second-best team in the Western Conference and keep pace in the race for playoff positions.

"That's on me. That is completely on me," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said postgame. "We put Goga in the game to go rebound [and call] timeout. And if you noticed there was a guy signaling time out, and we didn't get the call. By that point, we had put the ball on the ground, so in that moment, you can try to advance and get it over. And then in that moment you just say, okay, if you can get a shot with that momentum going down when they're off balance, you get the quick look.

"That's on me," Mosley added. "I should have called timeout. That's the communication part we have to have ... I'll have to be better at."

Seems everyone was expecting a timeout off the rebound, then Paolo had to go, still could have called one once they crossed halfcourt. the Magic were completely disorganized that final possession. That was rough. pic.twitter.com/72esR75D8Y

— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) February 22, 2025

"I'm being completely candid: We weren't all on the same page. That was the issue," Cole Anthony said. "I think the right play, probably — I think we wanted the timeout, P (Paolo Banchero) wanted to call timeout, but just everyone wasn't on the same page. So I think we have to do a better job as a unit echoing that call, making sure everyone knows what we want to do, whether its call timeout or letting P go, because we know he's obviously capable of making that shot and that's what he does. He's a big shot-maker.

"This was a game we should've won, and I think that we beat ourselves tonight."

The indecision compounded Orlando's failure to close out the game. With 4 minutes 38 seconds left, Bitadze's tip gave the Magic a 103-94 lead. They scored one more point the rest of the way while missing six shots and committing two turnovers.

"Obviously, really frustrating to end a game like that," said Franz Wagner, who scored a game-high 25 points. He also confirmed that the Magic wanted a timeout ahead of the game's last possession.

Toward the bottom of the screen on the Magic's broadcast, Wagner can be seen jumping up and down while motioning for a timeout call that never comes.

Without a plan, the Magic appeared disorganized and directionless — which left Banchero to go it alone.

"I think everybody on the court has to just not be worried about their own game, but what's going on on the floor and what we're trying to do as a team," Wagner said. "We've got to communicate, and then I think the coaches have to communicate and help us with that. Like on that last play, not everybody I think knew what we wanted to do. And that's not on one person, that's everybody on the court, people on the bench. That's why this is a team sport, and it's not easy to do that, especially when there's 20,000 loud people, but that's what this is about."

Yet, Mosley said the crowd noise had nothing to do with the game-ending breakdown.

"I've got to do a better job of communicating with the group to get the timeout," Mosley said. "We're all [calling timeout], the referees didn't see it, and that's on me. Being able to go to the referee and say we put a big in the game to say, we're gonna go rebound [and call] timeout and they've got to signal and look at it. That's part of all of the communication across the board, but that starts with me."

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