The Orlando Magic had every opportunity to win the game, fighting back late in the game from a 17-point deficit. The Warriors were not at their best.
Defending the Golden State Warriors can be a frustrating experience. Even when the defense does things right, recovers well, knocks the ball out and takes advantage of those few mistakes, the wrong bounce to the right player can absolutely bury you.
The Orlando Magic cut a 19-point deficit to two points with less than two minutes to play. They got the stop they needed, catching up to Stephen Curry and forcing him to dish the ball to Draymond Green. C.J. Watson made that extra effort and tracked back to him, knocking it free to the corner. That is where Klay Thompson was waiting, freed up by a screen, and drained a 3-pointer over Brandon Jennings.
The backbreaker turned a two-point deficit to five and the Magic were back to having to force play with time running out for good this time. There was no more deficit to fight back from.
The Magic were not particularly sharp throughout the game, but the effort and energy was there and that enabled them to keep pushing and fighting back to get into the game again.
Still, those early moments of lethargic and forced offense proved to be their undoing. The Warriors are a team that require perfection. The Magic did not have it even if they were willing to fight to give themselves a chance.