Orlando Magic get a finish to build on

The Orlando Magic lost leads in the fourth quarter in two straight games. Wednesday, they got a finish to build on as they defeated the Chicago Bulls.

The Orlando Magic needed a play to turn momentum and close the game with about three minutes to play against the Chicago Bulls.

Robin Lopez had just swatted an Elfrid Payton driving layup out of bounds emphatically with 0.7 seconds left on the shot clock. Coach Frank Vogel called a timeout probably to calm his players down as they have struggled to close games. The Magic would need to make plays to finish this game out.

And the symbolism on the clock was evident. They did not have much time to get the job done. And executing one play could be the difference between winning and losing.

As the Magic tried to inbound the ball, the play seemed to break down. No one got open. Not anywhere the team could get a basket quickly. Then the lane opened up some. Or Aaron Gordon rose above it, as he often does.

Evan Fournier lofted the ball to Aaron Gordon just in front of the rim. Gordon tipped in a short jumper before the shot clock buzzer. The Magic had some breathing room up two.

When the Bulls cut the deficit back down to two points with about two minutes to play, the Magic again came up with a big play. Elfrid Payton took a short jumper and missed with Evan Fournier and Jerian Grant fighting for the rebound.

Gordon dug out the tip and then dug out another rebound after Terrence Ross missed a 3-pointer. The ball found Terrence Ross again with driving room and he tried to attack the rim, missing. Fournier and Payton were down low working to get the rebound.

The ball squirted out to Payton and he hit an uncontested layup for a four-point lead with a minute to play.

These are the plays the Magic are often missing. If Orlando is going to learn how to win, it is these plays late the team needs to make more often.

"“Defensively we executed,” Gordon told Orlando Magic Daily after Wednesday’s 98-91 win over the Chicago Bulls. “That’s what I was talking about last game down the stretch was executing defensively. Tonight we did and we got a win.“Hustle plays are extremely important. The jump ball, there are no real statistics on that one. You need to go get that one, want it more and set it up.”"

Orlando did not do a ton offensively to take the game in the fourth quarter. Entering the quarter tied, the Magic shot 8 for 26 (30.8 percent) in the final 12 minutes. Every point and every score proved important for the Magic.

This effort in the fourth quarter was more about the Magic’s defense holding the Bulls off the scoreboard and giving the Magic every chance to win. Chicago shot just 5 for 23 in the final quarter, including 2 for 10 from beyond the arc. Orlando gave up just 14 points, usually a formula to get a win.

More importantly, the Magic kept that defensive intensity despite the offense struggling. That is the baseline Frank Vogel has always wanted.

"“I was proud of how they closed the game out tonight,” Vogel said after the game. “We’re happy with how we played for the most part the last two games but obviously not with how we finished. I loved the energy we came out with in the third quarter on both ends of the floor. Offensive pace, foot on the gas, really scored the ball well and defensively we picked it up on both ends. Closing out a game, that is part of what we want to get accomplished here. All the little things that go into making winning plays.”"

The Magic have played better by almost every metric since the All-Star Break. It is clear the team has found something.

But the inability to close games has been more than prevalent. The Magic had the lead in the fourth quarter in three of the team’s four losses since the break. Otherwise, Orlando could be looking at a longer win streak and a much more positive feeling about the end of the season.

Orlando Magic

Building consistency is a big part of what the Magic want to see the rest of this season. They want to see the team finish games like this more often.

They have to do it once before they can do it twice. And it appeared they learned some of the lessons from their heartbreaks earlier this week.

"“That’s the way we should play,” Fournier told Orlando Magic Daily after the game. “Defensively, I thought we were more focused and intense.“We had a terrible first half. We weren’t aggressive. I just felt like we came out flat with no energy. We just got into them a little bit more, played more aggressive. And the momentum shifted.”"

The Magic showed a lot of heart and precision in defeating the Bulls on Wednesday. It was the kind of encouraging performance that showed growth and potential to get better.

The Magic got stops. They made big plays. They gutted out a victory. It did not matter how many points the team scored, Orlando simply scored more than its opponent. The Magic had to do the little things and make the little plays to win.

Orlando got the key stop when the team needed it. The Magic got the loose ball at the critical time. And they hit the shots when they needed them most. That has not happened as often as the Magic would like this season.

"“It was big,” Fournier said. “We’ve been struggling the last few games to close out games defensively. It was definitely an improvement. We’ve just got to keep it up.”"

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Wednesday marked a step in the right direction. The Magic finished a game with their defense and with their effort. That is something they can build on the next time they are in a close game.