Defense has become the difference as Orlando Magic begin to believe

Defense is where things started and finished for the Orlando Magic as they shut down the New Orleans Pelicans for a second straight win.

The spark could have come at any moment. The belief shift that has come with the Magic’s dramatic turn defensively.

It could have been when Elfrid Payton picked up Tyreke Evans full court in the first half, poked the ball away and forced an eight-second violation. It could have come when Willie Green took that challenge up too and forced an over and back on Eric Gordon.

It could have come when Victor Oladipo came flying over from the weak side to block an Omer Asik layup attempt and spark a fast break.

Wherever it came from, it spread quickly throughout the team. Different players made their contributions when needed. Different guys found a way to make their presence felt. It all came on the defensive end.

And as guys covered and recovered for each other something else grew: belief.

Belief that has become very real that this team can beat anybody when they do things the right way. For Friday night, Orlando locked up New Orleans 95-84 to come out of the All-Star Break a winner at home at the Amway Center.

“I think we’re getting our confidence as a team back up to where we are the aggressors and we take the game to the other team,” NIkola Vucevic said. “That’s why we have been playing well. It’s really our defense. Our offense is not still there yet. But on defense, we can do that every night just by effort just being out there and calling out the coverages. It’s not really as much about the Xs and Os that JB gives us. It’s really about us going out there and playing with effort on defense and putting an emphasis on that end.”

Oladipo said it starts with him and Elfrid Payton setting the tone on the perimeter. Payton was picking guys up full court and Oladipo helped set the tone drawing a few charges in the paint and making things a no-fly zone down there. New Orleans managed only 36 points in the paint despite the presence of big men Anthony Davis and Omer Asik.

They found it difficult to get in the interior of the Magic’s defense as the team covered for each other. Even the often maligned Channing Frye was able to get out to Davis on the perimeter and get a hand up while keeping him on the perimeter favoring his jumper.

Orlando locked out the paint and locked out the boards, giving up just six second chance points on seven offensive rebounds.

It truly became a team effort to make the defense work. The two numbers coach James Borrego said he cared about most were the 42.0 percent shooting from New Orleans for the game and the 36 points in the paint.

After the Pelicans shot 51.4 percent in the first half, Borrego challenged his team to tighten things up on the defensive end. The Magic answered the bell giving up just 32.4 percent shooting in the second half and only 18 points in the paint, doubling up the Pelicans’ vaunted and large front line.

This is the kind of turnaround Borrego likely wanted to see.

“Our defense sustains us,” Borrego said. “Every night we defend. It sustains us. It keeps us in all the games. Whatever is going on offensively doesn’t affect our defense. It keeps us in games, it extends our leads. It’s what we thrive on.”

Offensively, it took the Magic a little while to get things going. The Magic recognize they will have their offensive issues. Turnovers kept the team afloat in the first half as Orlando eight of New Orleans’ 12 miscues in the first half. The Magic got out on the break and had a good pace to the game.

They just needed to get the stops. At the end of the day, that has always been what the Magic needed to do.

And so with the Magic clinging to a small lead, Borrego and his staff challenged the Magic to have their strongest defensive quarter in the final 12 minutes.

Indeed, Orlando’s defense got better as the game went on. New Orleans shot 3 for 16 in those final 12 minutes, missing on all six of its 3-point attempts.

The Magic hardly needed to be perfect on the offensive end. Their margin for error is still pretty small on that end despite flashes of brilliance, particularly when they can run. The defensive end is where everything is being built.

“They believe they can win every game they step on the floor,” Borrego said.

And finally, the Magic are starting to buy in and believe.

Next: Aaron Gordon says the team's job is to help James Borrego keep his job