The Orlando Magic saw their five-game win streak come to an end Saturday. Some cracks were already apparent. It cost them as they learn to win consistently.
Hyperbole had found its way into the discussion regarding the Orlando Magic. It certainly helped color the discussion after the Magic’s 103-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
No, the sky is not falling. The Magic lost a 10-point lead, lost momentum and lost a road game to the Clippers by two points. It was disappointing and disheartening.
Orlando had played well enough to win its sixth straight game. The Magic got the ball moving and attacked. Their defense created offense and they were clearly the better team than a depleted Clippers squad.
It was all right there — the potential and promise of this young group.
And then it was gone in a fit of Jamal Crawford 3-pointers, Blake Griffin playmaking and DeAndre Jordan dunks (well, one of them). It disappeared and slipped through the Magic’s hands.
The shots and plays Orlando had made to take the lead had dried up. Victor Oladipo’s absence after banging knees with Jamal Crawford certainly played a role. The Clippers were just starting their 12-0 run to take the lead for good when he went out. The Magic’s offense dried up as they relied more on one-on-one basketball and missed the good shots they did get.
What Orlando learned though was perhaps the most important lesson of all. Winning is not easy. It is a fragile thing that can break easily if not taken care of properly.
Sometimes a team can get away with the kind of imprecise play. Sometimes the game works out that a team ends up winning. The ugly shots fall and make the lead to big to surpass. But that does not happen in the long run.
Even during Orlando’s five-game win streak, there were cracks that were apparent.
The Magic built a 17-point lead against the Timberwolves only to get drawn into a difficult game that required some late-game heroics to win. The Magic’s win over the Utah Jazz saw them fall behind and have to claw their way back. A late-game surge gave them the victory.
Close games are notoriously fickle. Saturday night, the Magic lost a close game after having won two similar games.
Again, the cracks were there. The defense and offense would come together in waves. The offense especially was inconsistent coming in a quick burst before fading and the team would have to survive. The Magic are still learning how to make their defense their backbone. In some games it is, in other it leaves them.
Saturday was one such game. It should serve as a reminder to tighten things up some. To get back to the attention to detail that is required to win consistently. That is always something a growing (not young!) team like the Magic has to learn. This is their first time experiencing all of this.
The Magic are in the midst of this learning process. They are still learning how to win and how to do so consistently. A big part of the season has been about growing accountability. That part has sunk in — the Magic voluntarily discussed their defensive issues at halftime of the win over the Jazz.
As things were rolling and doing good it is easy to let these things slip. It is easy to let complacency creep in. It is easy to think the good times will always roll or that the flip can be turned on again.
Against some opponents, even the Magic can get away with that. But that kind of thinking really does get the team nowhere in the end. It does not build the habits and produce the results the team ultimately wants. It does not guarantee the team will find the success it wants.
No, winning takes constant attention to groom. It requires a team to do the right things and pay attention to have more often than not. Even then it may not be enough.
The Magic are discovering the ups and downs of winning. They let their attention slip just a little bit and lost their precious win streak.
Next: Orlando Magic win streak ends in let down to Los Angeles Clippers
Where this team’s mettle gets tests is Tuesday night. Can they get their winning ways back?