{"id":68308,"date":"2025-12-02T18:33:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T18:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/68308\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T18:33:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T18:33:06","slug":"orlando-magic-continuing-to-find-ways-to-win-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/68308\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Magic continuing to find ways to win games"},"content":{"rendered":"

If last week\u2019s win over the Pistons<\/a> was a statement made by the Magic<\/a>, then Monday\u2019s comeback victory against the Bulls<\/a> proved it wasn\u2019t a fluke.<\/p>\n

Trailing Chicago<\/a> by 15 points midway through the third quarter, Jamahl Mosley<\/a>\u2018s squad looked itself in the mirror, found a way to tie the contest at 85 entering the fourth and ended the game on a 16-9 run to escape on top 125-120 inside Kia Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Although Monday\u2019s win didn\u2019t come against one of the top teams in the East similar to Friday\u2019s at Detroit, it showed Orlando<\/a>\u2018s ability to will itself to a victory late, regardless of the circumstances.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the difference between the really good teams and the average teams,\u201d Magic guard Desmond Bane<\/a> said. \u201cIt would have been easy for us to hang our head and lay down, especially against a team like that that plays so fast, shares the ball, constantly trying to touch the paint.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey made us work for this win [and] it took a lot of effort on both sides of the ball,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

After a 37-point performance was needed from Bane to earn a 3-point win at Detroit last Friday, Bane delivered once again with 37 more to battle for a 5-point win vs. the Bulls.<\/p>\n

He became just the fourth player in franchise history to score 35-plus points in consecutive games and the first since Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady did it in three straight contests March 10-15, 2004.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a winner,\u201d Mosley said about Bane. \u201cHe\u2019s going to find a way to win no matter what. That\u2019s who he is and that\u2019s who he\u2019s always been.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Bane provided the offense, Jalen Suggs<\/a> (five steals), Goga Bitadze (four blocks) and Anthony Black<\/a> (two blocks) added the defense. Orlando improved to 8-1 when it records at least 10 steals and 7-2 when it totals at least seven blocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to turn them over in order to get some more possessions, because we didn\u2019t particularly shoot the ball well,\u201d Mosley said about the Magic, who shot 27% from 3-point range. \u201cUs being able to turn them over to get out and get some easy baskets was necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the great part about this game \u2014 we found a way to win but we are darned for sure going to learn from this game in the win,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

As nice as the win was, the Magic want to avoid falling behind in the first place.<\/p>\n

Orlando still let Chicago shoot 43% from 3-point range (it was previously 2-7 when opponents shot 37% or better from 3-point range), score 19 points off 18 Magic turnovers and rack up 54 points in the paint.<\/p>\n

\u201cChicago came out and played really well, to be honest,\u201d Suggs told the Orlando Sentinel. \u201cContinuing to play with each other, continuing to find ways to win through these ugly games is growth. But also not putting ourselves in a position to have to go get it like that can also be growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrying to take the win for what it is \u2014 you never take them for granted so celebrating that fact but (we are) trying to keep holding ourselves to a standard,\u201d he added. \u201cYou\u2019re living up to that every day. That starts in the first quarter, starts to start the second half, in every moment, every run throughout the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orlando\u2019s next chance to play up to its standard comes Wednesday, when the Spurs make their lone trip to Kia Center.<\/p>\n

Much like the Magic, who played their ninth consecutive contest Monday without Paolo Banchero<\/a> (left groin strain), San Antonio<\/a> played its last seven games without All-Defensive center Victor Wembanyama (left calf strain).<\/p>\n

The Magic (13-8) will have a rest advantage, with the Spurs<\/a> hosting the Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Wembanyama was already ruled out of the first night of the back-to-back, and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle (left hip flexor strain) missed his sixth straight game.<\/p>\n

Regardless of who takes the court Wednesday, the Magic know they will have to lean on their identity to find success after winning nine of their last 11 games and rising to fifth in the East as of Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to continue to grow,\u201d Mosley said. \u201cThat\u2019s the big key with what we\u2019re trying to do, focusing on the process of how we\u2019re trying to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur guys are recognizing and learning how to win no matter what it costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Up next \u2026<\/p>\n

Magic vs. San Antonio<\/p>\n

When:\u00a07, Wednesday, Kia Center<\/p>\n

TV:\u00a0FanDuel Sports Network Florida<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If last week\u2019s win over the Pistons was a statement made by the Magic, then Monday\u2019s comeback victory…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68309,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[114,2295,139,141,1239,140,109,110],"class_list":{"0":"post-68308","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-orlando","8":"tag-latest-headlines","9":"tag-nba","10":"tag-orlando","11":"tag-orlando-headlines","12":"tag-orlando-magic","13":"tag-orlando-news","14":"tag-social","15":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68308"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68308\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}