Ready to test Magic formula
Win over Bulls has the team feeling confident
Following a disappointing 23-point loss Monday to the San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said the team needs to learn how to win.
Fast forward to Wednesday night in Chicago, where Carter and the Magic applied some of the lessons they learned from back-to-back blowout losses. They may have even found a formula for how they can play over the final 17 games of the regular season.
The Magic secured a 23-point lead early in the fourth quarter, then withstood a charge by the Bulls to pull out a 115-109 victory at United Center.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak, but more importantly gave the Magic a confidence boost as they continue to navigate the dynamics of a new roster.
Their play has shown strides in several areas:
The Magic recorded 29 assists on 44 field goals, the highest assist total in the 10 games since the roster reconstruction began March 28 against the Lakers. The previous best was 27 in a 119-109 loss to the Nuggets. The Magic are averaging 20.8 assists over the past 10 games, which ranks 29th in the NBA in that stretch.
The Magic attacked the paint, which led to quality shots and open looks. Orlando outscored Chicago 52-40 on points in the paint and shot 55.3% (26-of-47) on those shots. The Magic also were an efficient 12-for-27 (44.4%) from behind the arc. They dialed up their defense with more ball pressure in the second half. The third quarter was especially effective as Orlando held Chicago to 19 points on 8-of22 shooting (36.4%).
They also got contributions from up and down the lineup as six players reached double figures in scoring. The Magic also got a seven-point, nine-rebound, two-block effort — and a whole lot of energy — from newly-signed big man Donta Hall in his Magic debut.
They showed some poise late in the win over the Bulls, which, led by Zach LaVine, began to chip away at the Magic’s large lead.
“We understood what it takes down the stretch,” Carter said. “I feel like this game was a game of runs. We made a huge run in the third quarter, we got up by 20 and we understood that their offensive players were going to take and make big shots down the stretch, and we weathered their run, and we made great adjustments.
“We made some big shots, made some big free throws, got some big stops and big rebounds, and I feel like that’s something that we can build off of, especially playing against a great team like the Bulls.”
Michael Carter-Williams, who scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half, said the Magic used the lopsided losses to the Bucks (124-87) and Spurs (120-97) as a jumping-off point to regroup. He said the focus turned toward getting off to a good start and then maintaining that level of play.
“I think after the game [against the Spurs] we had a good conversation with the team about our focus just before the game and things that we can do better on the floor, things that we can control,” Carter-Williams said. “We were a little bit more focused in warmups and our coverages, and I think that played a big role in tonight’s win. We came out ready and we were able to sustain that throughout the game.”
Next up: The Magic (18-37) will look to keep the momentum going when they take on the Raptors Friday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, where the Raptors have played all home games this season because of Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions. The game tips off 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida.
The last time the teams met, Raptors guard Fred
VanVleet poured in a careerhigh and franchise-record 54 points during a 123-108 win at Amway Center. VanVleet knocked down 11-of-14 shots from 3-point range that night.
Toronto (22-34), which is coming off a 117-112 win Wednesday over San Antonio, has struggled to consistently put together wins this season. For example, after beating the Warriors 130-77 April 2 and the Wizards 103-101 April 5, the Raptors lost to the Lakers and the Bulls, beat the Cavaliers, then lost to the Knicks and Hawks. Still, the Raptors are just one game behind the Bulls for 10th — the final play-in spot — in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic are winless in the past seven regular-season games against the Raptors.