Magic's Needed Growth Evident as Late-Season Scenarios Arise

After winning a grinder Tuesday night over the Charlotte Hornets, the Orlando Magic's needed growth from last season – and earlier moments in the year – is beginning to become evident. Is Orlando playing its best basketball at the right time?

Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) drives to the basket during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

When the Orlando Magic entered Spectrum Center looking for a season series-sweeping victory over the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday, the previous night's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers wasn't the one fresh on the mind.

It was a game from last April.

Nearly a year ago, an Orlando team 14 games over .500 visited an 18-win Hornets team in game 77 of the regular season. The Magic were victors of three straight games and jockeying for potential home-court playoff positioning, and every result was crucial. Charlotte, the loser of four consecutive contests, already knew its fate as a lottery team and had nothing standings-related worth playing for.

No matter. Orlando came out flat and was pummeled by the hosts 38-23 in the first quarter. The Magic never recovered, suffering a nine-point loss and going on to lose four of their final six games.

At the season's end, the Magic missed home-court advantage by a single game. Their first-round playoff series with Cleveland went seven games because no visiting team stole a road result. With the Cavs seeded fourth and the Magic fifth, Orlando played four road games in the series to Cleveland's three.

There's the difference.

Flash forward to Tuesday's affair, and the situation in Charlotte shared many similarities. The Magic, wrestling for Play-In Tournament positioning, entered the regular season's 73rd contest four games below .500. Again, an 18-win Hornets team with nothing else to lose threatened to play spoiler.

Only this time, Orlando – albeit narrowly – avoided déjà vu.

"We knew this was not going to be an easy game despite their record and what they've done this season," Paolo Banchero said postgame. "I feel like every year I've been in the NBA, we come to Charlotte at some point in March and it's always a tough game. Last year, we came here around the same time and we lost, so we knew that it wasn't going to be easy no matter who was out there."

Monday evening, Banchero said his team's effort to knock off the Lakers and earn a second consecutive victory would be hollow if they didn't back it with another result the next night. With help from his fourth straight 30-plus-point game, Franz Wagner's 26 and major contributions from the bench, the Magic earned a third consecutive victory in a 111-104 grinder.

"So, it just was a huge team effort to come here after a big win at home last night and get this win on a back-to-back."

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) brings the ball up court during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said Monday his team would have until they boarded their flight to Charlotte to shift focus from the Lakers win to the impending Hornets contest. Then, in a team meeting hours before tipoff, the fourth-year coach hearkened back on last April's loss to remind his team of the feeling and further drive home how vital the contest was.

"I think it's a big-time level of growth and maturity in a group that understands the importance of each and every single game," the fourth-year coach said. "We talked about each game being like a playoff game. No matter who's in, no matter who plays ... we're treating it like a playoff game each time we step on the floor."

The results don't have to be pretty. But most of this season hasn't been.

Ups and downs, injuries and so on have minimized their opportunities to replicate last season's success. Throughout it all, the Magic have maintained the mindset that they want to be playing their best basketball in March and April.

Now, showcasing the fortitude required to put the contest in the win column during that time is all that matters.

"It's just a mindset of us realizing that we can't take any games off," Banchero said. "We can't just give any games away. We have to try and win every game up to the end of the season to put ourselves in the best possible position. I think everybody has that understood."

"[There were] times when you could tell our team was tired in timeouts or out there on the court, but I feel like everybody just pushed through it tonight," said Anthony Black after a 20-point showing off the bench.

"We knew how much we needed this win. Obviously, we remember dropping the one last year, so it was just a good job of the team staying locked in and getting the dub."

Up Next

The Magic begin a three-game homestand Thursday, March 27 when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Kia Center at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV.

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