ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic aren’t being shy about their desires to qualify for the play-in tournament.
But they understand for them to get there, they’ll need to do a better job against teams towards the bottom of the standings.
They took an important step with Thursday night’s 108-106 home win over the Detroit Pistons, with Wendell Carter Jr.’s putback dunk before the buzzer giving the Magic the victory.
The Pistons entered the matchup with the league’s third-worst record and worst in the East.
“We look at the numbers sometimes and understand that we have to do a better job of having respect for every team no matter what their record is or who’s out there playing,” Carter said ahead of Thursday’s game. “This is the NBA. Everybody’s here for a reason. We got to do a better job of locking in and playing the same way no matter who’s on the opposite side.”
Securing the victory wasn’t easy.
The Magic (25-35) and Pistons (16-44) showed signs of rust in their first games after the All-Star break.
Orlando shot 42.1% on 2-pointers and struggled with attacking Detroit’s interior defense. The Pistons turned the ball over 21 times for 21 Magic points.
But the Magic’s interior defense (26 points allowed in the paint) and possession advantage (95 field goal attempts to Detroit’s 81) were the difference makers.
Franz Wagner, 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 2-of-5 on 3s, made a pair of free throws with 8.7 seconds to give the Magic a 106-103 lead with 8.7 seconds remaining.
Jalen Ivey (team-high 25 points and 4 assists) made a contested 3 over Carter three seconds later to tie the game at 106.
The Magic ran their final play for Paolo Banchero (11 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists), who missed the layup in the waning seconds, but the putback by Carter (14 points, 14 rebounds) right before the game clock hit zero secured the win.
The Magic had six other players score in double figures, including Cole Anthony (15 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds) and Jonathan Isaac (10 points and 7 rebounds in a season-high 16 minutes).
The Magic have picked up their play and focus against the league’s best teams, especially over the last two months.
They’ve picked up significant wins over the Boston Celtics (three times), Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets since mid-December.
They’ve also had the tendency of not bringing that same quality of play against teams below or near them in the standings.
The Magic entered Thursday 12-18 in games against teams with records better than .500 and 12-17 vs. teams with records below .500.
Every team within arm’s reach of the Magic in the East also entered Thursday with sub-.500 records against the league’s better teams. But they also had winning records against the teams with sub-.500 records.
This is a gap the Magic need to make up for during the season’s last stretch.
“That’s why it’s about us more than it is about who we face,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Those levels of details are going to be more important no matter who it is.
“Are we boxing out? Are we coming across the lane, protecting the rim? Are we flying and contesting shots? Are we doing that no matter who we play? And then understanding personnel. Offensively, are we sharing the basketball? Are we moving it the right way? Are we trusting how we’re cutting? Obviously, there’s going to be different types of opponents, but we have to make sure we’re taking care of us.”
Caleb Houstan (G League assignment with Orlando’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic) and two-way guard Kevon Harris (transferred to Lakeland) were the lone Magic players not available.
It marked the first time the Magic didn’t have a player sidelined because of an injury since Aug. 2, 2020, when Isaac tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
