What we took from a game the Magic did most everything right, but lost 91-89 on a last second lob to Bradley Beal.
The Road Provides Confidence
The magnitude of a 3-3 road trip playing mostly Western Conference teams cannot be overstated for this young Magic team. Clearly, the successful string of games can provide confidence back at home. So far, Orlando has been making their mark on the road. Despite the last second loss, perhaps they are ready to establish a home court advantage as fans begin to rally around an exciting product.
Third Quarter Woes a Thing of the Past?
Through the early part of the season, the third quarter was the Magic’s Achilles’ heel. Orlando put up their best 12 minutes out of halftime all season, going 12-17 from the field and 4-5 from three. An especially impressive run near the end of the third saw a pretty Elfrid Payton ball fake, a Kyle O’Quinn three, and then an alley-oop from Payton to Dewayne Dedmon.
Victor Oladipo Back to 100%
Oladipo found his game on the road and showed the Amway crowd what they have been missing so far this season. He was slashing and cutting with ease on the way to a team high 17 points. Especially during the absence of Nikola Vucevic, having Oladipo retake the reigns on offense is essential.
Late Game Rotation gets an A+
It certainly took a new level of confidence for head coach Jacque Vaughn to end the game with a Payton-Oladipo backcourt against John Wall and Beal. Despite their overall lack of playing time together throughout most of the game, this is the right decision for the present and the future. Playing important minutes against what some have labeled the league’s best backcourt is an invaluable learning experience. Also, the young, athletic Magic duo are the best option
