Things amiss at the foul line
Free throws continue to weigh down Magic as playoffs approach
As the Magic enter the final 10 games of the regular season in hopes of solidifying a top 6 spot in the East for the NBA playoffs, the margin for error is small for a squad that features only four players with postseason experience.
That was on full display Wednesday night when Orlando dropped its second in a row to the Warriors (38-34) inside of a packed Kia Center.
In an 8-point loss to Golden State, which was playing on the second night of a back-toback, the Magic missed 10 free throws (11 of 21), including six in the opening frame.
Of course, no team will always make every attempt but Wednesday’s 52.4% foul shooting was the second-worst performance of the season for Orlando (42-30).
“That’s not good. I can say that,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “I can say that it’s a level of concentration. Nobody steps to the free-throw line not thinking they’re going to make the shot.
“They step in wanting to step in with confidence. [They need] just more concentration and knock them down.”
Taking advantage of trips to the foul line will be a focus for the Magic to get back on track Friday against the Clippers (Bally Sports Florida, 7).
The contest is the first of a back-to-back for Orlando as it continues through its seasonlong eight-game homestand. The Magic host the Grizzlies (24-49) on Saturday.
Wednesday’s problems, however, are nothing new. Although the league-wide average for foul shooting is 78.4%, Orlando’s 75.1% which is third-worst.
As the margin for error shrinks, so is the margin for success.
The Magic are 21-8 when
they’ve shot above the league average at the free-throw line, but 21-22 when they’ve gone below it.
Orlando doesn’t even need to be spectacular on free throws — just average. In the postseason, scoring tends to dip, games are more physical and free shots are at a premium.
“The stuff that we can control is always frustrating when you don’t control it,” Magic guard Cole Anthony said. “We just have to hit free throws. We’re getting to the line. That’s half the battle.”
And Anthony is right. The Magic’s 24.6 free throw attempts actually lead the league. So does the group’s freethrow attempt rate (0.290) — the number of attempts for a team in comparison to the number of field goal attempts that team shoots.
“We’ve just got to lock in,” Anthony said. “Whether it’s [taking] the extra seconds, a deep breath, or whatever it is.
“We just have to hit free throws.”
The Magic are set to get back Gary Harris (73.8% foul shooter) against the Clippers. The veteran guard, who missed the last two games with a right foot plantar fascia strain, is not listed on the injury report.
The Clippers (45-27) and Magic feature a clean bill of health entering the second meeting of the season. Los Angeles hosted and won the first matchup in the fourth game of the season.
The Halloween contest was the second to last the Clippers played without seven-time All-NBA guard James Harden, who was acquired from Philadelphia in exchange for a plethora of future draft picks.
Harden, 34, is third on the team in scoring (17.1) behind All-NBA forwards Kawhi Leonard (23.7) and Paul George (22.5).