The Magic saw a 17-point lead dwindle to four points. They needed a big shot. They needed someone to force the issue some and back up some relatively solid defense. They needed something to turn the tide and finish out this win.
Every finish does not have to be perfect. Just like every 48 minutes has to be perfect. It just has to be enough.
Winning is not always easy and not always pretty. It just has to be enough.
And it is going to take everyone pulling together and doing their part. The best players will have to finish at the end.
Tobias Harris scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, making four of his five shots and two of his three 3-pointers. Both of those 3-pointers came off of Victor Oladipo drives into the lane. He shot confidently from that corner and paid off on the trust his point guards gave him.
Orlando had confidence in Harris too. He fought hard defensively, helping lock down Gordon Hayward and rotated seamlessly down to box out Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter in key moments, collecting seven rebounds on the game. That kind of complete effort helped the Magic stave off the Jazz and earn a 98-93 win at Energy Solutions Arena on Friday.
| Score | Off. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
| Orlando | 98 | 118.4 | 54.7 | 24.3 | 9.8 | 27.0 |
| Utah | 93 | 106.6 | 50.6 | 31.0 | 12.0 | 26.6 |
Considering how badly the Magic got beat in Los Angeles a few nights before, and supposedly how frustrated the Jazz were following their loss to the Raptors, this kind of complete effort on both ends seemed a bit out of left field. Not out of left field, maybe, Orlando has had great efforts following bad losses before. The attention to detail and focus has really increased and the Magic found a way to get the job done.
The Magic’s main attack came from pick and rolls and attacking the basket. Even with Derrick Favors patrolling the paint and changing some shots, Orlando was able to get to the basket and get shots at the rim. This is how they built their lead.
Issues came in the third quarter when the Magic settled for mid-range jumpers. Even in the fourth quarter, some of the shots were not falling, but the ball movement was there. It was only a matter of time before the team pulled away.
Especially with the way the team played defense.
Orlando may not have had its best individual perimeter defense, but the team did a good job cutting off penetration at the second level and rotating at the third level. The Jazz found it difficult to score consistently. Their star Gordon Hayward had just nine points on 4-for-11 shooting. Trey Burke had 13 points on 4-for-15 shooting.
The attention on the guards gave Derrick Favors some room to work (21 points, 13 rebounds, four offensive) and Rodney Hood (15 points, 3-for-3 shooting on 3-pointers) space to score. Nothing was going to be perfect.
The Magic though locked down when they needed to. The second unit put in a strong effort in the second quarter to establish the lead. The Magic maintained it by continuing to keep the foot down and figure out ways to crack the Jazz’s defense. When they could not, the defense did not lack too much. A stretch in the third quarter when the Jazz cut into the lead.
Whenever that happened, Orlando found an answer.
It could have been Kyle O’Quinn scoring 10 points in the opening quarter. It could have been Ben Gordon going on a scoring run in the second quarter. It could have been Victor Oladipo attacking the basket and creating for others throughout the second half when the team needed that boost. His 20 points and six assists on an efficient 9-for-12 came mostly in the paint. It could have been Harris’ big fourth quarter.
The Magic found what they needed when they needed it.
That was part of the important growth this team showed in finishing this one out. The offense was great for stretches but it was not great for the entire game. The defense was great for stretches, but not for the entire game.
It took the Magic having to gut through those bad moments and hang on. They did that. Not flawlessly. The game could have ended much more comfortably than it did. But they did enough.
Sometimes just enough is fine.
