Shooting Determines Magic's Ceiling, But Search for Complete Game Goes On

Too often, the Orlando Magic are making mistakes that prove to be costly in the outcomes of games. With 12 games left in the regular season and the shooting woes not helping, the Magic must find a way out of their own way.

Orlando Magic guard Cory Joseph (10) shoots over Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) during the second half at Kia Center. / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. –– Midway through the third quarter of Wednesday's game versus the visiting Houston Rockets, Cory Joseph's top-of-the-key three found nylon, cutting the Orlando Magic's deficit to 68-65.

To that point in the Magic's 70th regular-season contest this year, the game had been one of runs. Orlando punched first in each of the first two quarters with 19-12 and 18-5 runs, but subsequent 16-4 and 23-11 responses from Houston nullified the Magic's moments of good play.

The veteran guard's made triple stopped a different type of run – Orlando had missed its last nine shots from deep as a team. However, rather than the Magic taking advantage of the score and going streaking, the Rockets were the ones to break the stronghold and seize control.

It took Houston less than two minutes to piece together a 12-0 spurt, and suddenly, Orlando was staring at a 15-point deficit.

Digging out of a hole that deep generally requires good outside shooting. Knowing this, Houston opted for a zone defense often and dared the Magic to shoot them out of it.

"Ultimately, that's what comes to breaking zones down," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said postgame. "I think we got some great looks."

The Magic did not make them. After Joseph's aforementioned basket, Orlando shot just 2-of-10 from three – part of a 9-for-35 (25.7) night that helped bring on a 116-108 loss to the red-hot Rockets.

It's unavoidable at this point, and it has been for a while – Orlando is not a good shooting team. At 31.0 percent from distance this season, Orlando is nearly five whole percentage points worse than the league's average accuracy (35.9) from beyond the arc.

If the Magic's mark holds over the final 12 games of the regular season, it would be the worst posted percentage from a team since the 2012-2013 Minnesota Timberwolves, who shot 30.5 percent on 18.0 three-pointers a game in a 31-51 campaign.

Talking again about the 2024-25 season, where the Magic are 32-38, Orlando is shooting 35.1 percent from three in wins – which is still below league average – and 27.3 percent in losses.

After injuries dealt their blows earlier this year, whether or not Orlando can overcome season-long shooting pitfalls will ultimately determine its ceiling. Perhaps, then, it's unsurprising the Magic's Wednesday loss frustratingly came in the same fashion as so many others.

The Rockets' 32-20 third-quarter advantage continued another worrying trend over the back half of Orlando's season.

Since Christmas, Orlando is just 13-26 in 39 games. In 24 of those games, the Magic have been outscored in the 12 minutes coming out of halftime. They are 4-20 in such games.

For comparison's sake, here's the split between games before and after the holiday:

2024-25 Orlando Magic	Before Christmas	After Christmas
Total games	31	39
Record	19-12	13-26
# of times outscored in 3Q	10 (3-7 record)	24 (4-20 record)
# of times tying/winning 3Q	21 (16-5)	15 (9-6)

Since victories over the Miami Heat on Dec. 21 and Boston Celtics on Dec. 23, the Magic have not won consecutive games without a week's break between them.

Note: The All-Star break split Orlando's Feb. 12 victory over Charlotte and Feb. 20 win at Atlanta.

"I think we're just sometimes not consistent on both sides of the floor, not executing," Franz Wagner told reporters of the Magic's third-quarter woes in the postgame locker room Wednesday. "They played a lot of zone today, so obviously it was a little different today, but not getting great shots all the time, then just a couple defensive lapses, offensive rebounds, stuff like that."

"There was just a couple of stretches where we [weren't] locked in," Goga Bitadze said. "They hit some shots, but I think we started well. Everybody was together. Then they beat us to 50-50 balls, they got some offensive rebounds.

"We have to be locked in for 48 minutes. They're a great team, have an [8-game] winning streak. To beat those kinds of teams, you have to be really, really locked in."

Third quarters have been the culprit of late, but the Magic only have a positive net rating in the fourth quarter this season.

• -3.9 net rating in first quarters;
• -5.5 in second quarters;
• -1.9 in third quarters; and
• +5.4 in fourth quarters.

Asked what's preventing the Magic from consistently putting together 48-minute games, Wagner's answer was short: "Human beings making mistakes."

Joseph's answer, while elaborating further, expressed the same sentiment.

"At certain points, we're just collectively making... too many mistakes," the 14th-year guard said. "We just have to be better overall.

"There's going to be good stretches and there's going to be bad stretches, but as much as we can limit our bad stretches to maybe less possessions than what we're having, we're in pretty good shape."

Time is running short on an Orlando season that hasn't gone to plan. Whether or not the Magic can salvage something from this season may depend on how little or how often they can get out of their own way.

With margins so slim, whether that happens is usually the difference.

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

• X-FACTOR AB?: Second-year pro Anthony Black's year has been up and down, but the ups translate more directly to wins. Can the Magic unlock his consistency? CLICK HERE
• TDS STAYS THE COURSE: Tristan da Silva has had plenty of changes to adapt to in his rookie season. CLICK HERE
• AGGRESSION KEY FOR SUPPORTING CAST: The players around Magic stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner need to tap into the aggression they showed Sunday, one player said. CLICK HERE
• THE DEFIBRILLATOR: How Cory Joseph still lives up to a self-given moniker from over a decade ago. CLICK HERE
• MORAL VICTORIES NOT ENOUGH: It's "nut-cutting time" for the Orlando Magic as only 14 games remain this regular season. CLICK HERE
• FRANZ IS A TWO-WAY STAR: Franz Wagner made history Monday night. He's become one of the NBA's most impactful all-around players. CLICK HERE

Want more Orlando Magic coverage on Sports Illustrated?

Follow 'Orlando Magic on SI' on Facebook and like our page. Follow Magic beat reporter Mason Williams on Twitter/X @mvsonwilliams. Also, bookmark our homepage so you never miss a story.