'Orlando Magic Standard' Not Met in Win vs. Portland Trail Blazers, Says Jamahl Mosley

The Orlando Magic was able to get the win in its last game against the Portland Trail Blazers, but it was a closer game than head coach Jamahl Mosley would have liked.

Apr 1, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) and Portland Trail / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The Orlando Magic was able to get its second straight win in its last game against the Portland Trail Blazers, but it was not the style of win that the team was hoping for.

Head coach Jamahl Mosley usually lets reporters ask questions first in his postgame conferences, but after the close win, he had something to say first. He said that he did not think that the "Magic standard" was met, despite the win.

"That wasn’t it tonight," Mosley said. "Respect the game of basketball and play the right way from the beginning to the end and that’s what we have to do to continue to grow and learn. We talked about learning from those three losses, this is a win where we’re going to learn from it and how we have to respect and approach every single night when we come out."

Apr 1, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) and Portland Trail / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The Magic was able to come out with the win 104-103 as a result of a missed mid-range jumper from Deandre Ayton. The team only shot 34 percent from three in the game and had some struggles with turnovers. Mosley thinks that the team can use this game to learn moving forward and heading into the postseason.

"I think us maybe not overlooking it, but just letting the rope go a little bit, and I think our ability to hold ourselves to a higher standard is what we have to continue to do as we move forward," Mosley said. "But these are great games to learn from that you come away with a win, but you got to learn from it and understand who we need to be moving forward."

The Magic will be looking for its third straight win in its next game on Wednesday against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from the Smoothie King Center.