Sports

Short-Handed Magic Give it All They Have in Recent Losses

Orlando, FL – It’s been a tough season for the Orlando Magic as the injury bug has swept through the team. Orlando is currently on a three-game losing streak, recently losing to the Denver Nuggets at home 113-100. This streak is alarming to Magic fans, as the team has had a history of sliding in January in past years, but this time, it’s different.

Orlando, Florida, USA, March 27, 2024, Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley during the game at the Kia Center. (Photo Credit: Marty Jean-Louis)

Each game that the Magic take the court and display their disciplined, dogged, and determined play, Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley is lauded for his coaching skills and how he has instilled a spirit of toughness in his young squad. In reality, the team has had this spirit for a while now, but they have had to overcome injuries for years. The Magic coaching staff has preached the mantra of “Next man up” to its squads from Mosley’s first time on the practice court, and since then, these guys have given their all for Coach Mosley, the Magic, and the Magic fans. It’s tough when giving their all is not enough.

Coming home from a recent 121-94 loss to the Boston Celtics, Orlando looked forward to getting back on their home floor to make things right. The Magic are missing three starters and three key support players to injury, including Moritz Wagner for the season. The severely short-handed team refuses to use the injury situation as an excuse, and just put their heads down and try to push through.

Still out for the Magic were Franz Wagner (return to competition re-conditioning), Jalen Suggs (low back strain), Goga Bitadze (concussion protocol), Gary Harris (left hamstring strain), Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) and Moe Wagner (torn ACL in left knee).

“These guys are giving everything they have in these moments for what they have,” said Mosley after the loss to Denver. “I thought our level of aggression and focus and game plan discipline in that first half was fantastic. And when you’re playing with eight or nine guys, I think, you know, those guys are giving you everything they have. Every moment of the game, and I just think we were tired out a little bit and that towards the end of that third quarter, because that’s when you saw it come on.”

Orlando, Florida, USA, January 19, 2025, Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero #5 at the Kia Center. (Photo Credit: Marty Jean-Louis)

Banchero has only been back on the floor for about a week after being out since the fifth game of the season, and though he has been spectacular for Orlando on the floor, his fatigue is starting to show. Banchero has gone from scoring an average of 20 points in his first three games back against the Sixers, Bucks, and Celtics, to 10 points yesterday against Denver. Orlando was in the game until the third quarter on Sunday, when the Nuggets surged ahead, outscoring the Magic 39-25. The Nuggets never looked back.

Mosley purposely offered positive reinforcement for his team’s performance on the night.

“I don’t think they’re leaving anything behind,” he said. “You can’t go, you know, we’re knocking shots down early in that first half, and I think the legs went away in that second half. And you can see that occur. But again, we’ll bounce back, we’ll get the recovery and rest we need. I’ll be ready to go to Toronto and, you know, put up a good fight there.”

He offered a different outlook on the situation.

“I think you have to zoom out in these circumstances, understanding where you are, one in standings. Where you are with what’s going on with the team, helping them understand and get the right perspective. One, we still get to play the game of basketball. We’re getting healthy bodies back soon. And so yes, it’s three in a row and I’m not making excuses, nor am I happy about it. But at the end of the day, you have to zoom out because you can’t make one game pile on to ten and so that’s what we’ve got to understand but tomorrow is a new day. We focus on how we can get better, how we go up and try to beat Toronto, and then we come back home and play Portland, but it’s one game at a time, one opponent at a time. But we’ve got to focus on us and not try to pile it all on.”

The Magic are headed to Toronto to face the Raptors on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. As the players heal up, and with the extra work that the bench has gotten while they are out, the Magic will be a deep team to contend with as the second half of the season continues.

 

 

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