For Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, there wasn’t a selected second he felt just like the group flipped the change on the season.
Unlike Friday’s 133-113 residence win over the San Antonio Spurs, the place one might level to Magic’s 19-3 run early within the fourth as what sealed the victory for them, there wasn’t a sequence the place Mosley thought Orlando began to show issues round in its favor.
It’s been the cumulative classes over the past two years that’ve allowed the Magic to win eight of their final 9 video games, their finest nine-game stretch since their nine-game profitable streak from Dec. 23, 2010-Jan. 8, 2011.
Being more healthy has additionally helped, with Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz returning on Nov. 30, and Wendell Carter Jr. and Gary Harris getting back from accidents in Friday’s win.
“We’ve been saying it from the beginning: understanding we’re close [and] getting over the hump,” Mosley stated following Friday’s win. “You just have to stick with that process. The growth, understanding those close games and what those mean later on in the season. It’s just the belief system these young men are starting to grow into.”
The perception is palpable, in massive moments and smaller ones.
It’s why they’ve the league’s second-best internet score (plus-35.3) within the clutch — when the scoring margin is inside 5 factors with 5 or fewer minutes remaining in a sport — since Dec. 5 and received a number of shut video games they could have misplaced earlier within the season.
There’s additionally a terrific understanding from the gamers of what the coaches are asking them to execute with the sport plan, demonstrated by being top-seven in each offensive and defensive score over the past 2 1/2 weeks.
The Magic have gotten higher with taking part in zone protection after struggling earlier within the season and have higher ball motion led by their guards.
“I feel like we did a really good job on the defensive end,” Carter stated. “For me sitting on the sidelines throughout this stretch, we did a really good of locking in on the details. Making in-game adjustments when need be. Offensively, we’re sharing the ball like no other. Everybody’s in double digits. That’s one of the recipes for a great team.”
The Magic (13-21) will get a number of days off from video games earlier than taking part in the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday at Amway Center.
After a more durable run towards playoff contenders, Orlando’s within the midst of a stretch towards different groups with dropping data.
The Magic will play the East-worst Pistons (8-27) Wednesday in Detroit earlier than matching up towards the Washington Wizards (13-21) Friday at Amway Center.
They have a house matchup vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder (14-19) on Jan. 4 earlier than taking part in the Memphis Grizzlies — the lone group with a profitable document in the course of the stretch — at Amway Center the next day.
This will give much more readability about how a lot the Magic have grown.
“As a young team, sometimes we can get caught up in ‘oh, we won a certain amount of games. Let’s get comfortable,’” Carter stated. “I feel like the biggest thing for us is to continue to do what got us here. Not to change the formula or too many things. Just do what got us to this point.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
