Five goals for the Orlando Magic’s second half of the season
By Joe Buckley
GOAL 5: LEARN HOW TO FINISH GAMES STRONG
Back in November, I wrote a post on how the Magic struggled in the fourth quarter. Flash forward to the present day, and the Magic have not come close to solving that problem.
It happens all too often. The Magic put in a good if not great performance for three, maybe even three and a half quarters, and then it all falls apart and Orlando wind up losing a game by five that they were in control of for most of the game.
Look no further than this weekend for proof.
Against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, the Magic looked well on their way to a much-needed win after winning the first three quarters. Then came the fourth quarter. Orlando lost the quarter 30-15, and then lost in overtime 11-7. In fact, for overtimes this year, the team are still 1-3.
Much of this can be put to the youth and inexperience of the team, of course, but this excuse only goes so far.
It is almost worse than watching a straight beatdown. Orlando treats its fans to all their potential and talent (the team scored 35 first quarter points against Charlotte after all) and then takes that all away again.
It is no coincidence the team’s poor aggression and ability to get to the free throw line makes them less dangerous in the fourth. If there is anyway to get back into the playoff race, the Magic will have to learn to play their game for 48 minutes, not 36.
Next: Everything is a collective effort for Orlando Magic
There are a lot of goals that the Magic need to focus on, and we’d love to hear what your goals are, just leave a comment below.