Orlando Magic are doing something worse than tanking

Fans are calling on the Orlando Magic to tank and collect ping pong balls. Instead, the team is doing something worse: giving in to the end of the season.

The Orlando Magic’s urgency picked up a notch in the third quarter Friday night against the Chicago Bulls.

A bit of a listless and imperfect first half — especially with the team’s poor offensive flow — seemed to force the Magic to snap back to attention for the start of the second half. It was reminiscent in some ways of the Orlando Magic’s win over the Phoenix Suns last week. A lifeless first half refocused the team for the second half.

At least, the energy picked up.

This time it would not last. Orlando’s offense still struggled to create shots consistently and the defensive energy — the same defense that gave up 2-for-22 shooting in the third quarter — disappeared. The Bulls were not as interested in winning it seemed, but their players were willing to give an effort beyond their talent.

And that not only kept them in the game, it gave them control and eventually a 90-83 win.

The score and poor shooting in the fourth quarter resembled a game between two poor teams. Two teams that are not necessarily focused on winning.

Orlando lost their lead early in the fourth quarter thanks to the Chicago’s energetic play. And a lineup that featured Ryan Arcidiacono, Sean Kilpatrick, Jerian Grant, Noah Vonleh and Cristiano Felicio beat a Magic lineup that featured most of the team’s regulars.

Not just its regulars, but its starting lineup of D.J. Augustin, Shelvin Mack, Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic. Orlando was not able to impose its will offensively and did not seem as active and engaged defensively. Miscommunication reigned and the Bulls won the game on the road in the second night of a back to back.

This was exactly the kind of loss fans in favor of tanking and playing for lottery picks have wanted. The team lost. How is not important to them.

But this felt like something worse.

This is not tanking from the Magic. . . this is just bad basketball. A team that seems content to watch these final eight games pass by without gaining much for their future (whatever that future may hold for them as a group and as individuals). Another winnable game slipped through their fingers through inefficient and ineffective play. It certainly was not for a lack of talent.

As Orlando took its players out with about a minute to play, there was no spark and no will to take the victory or defend the home court. It barely felt like there was pride.

The Magic are not a team that is tanking. As Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and coach Frank Vogel told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, they know the noise is out there but they want to finish the season strong.

The lineup the Magic put on the floor to end the game was filled with the team’s best, most consistent players. The Bulls put out a lineup designed to lose. In a close game, even star rookie Lauri Markkanen was on the bench.

Yet, Chicago still won. Through grit, determination and some timely stops, the Bulls still outlasted the Magic.

Orlando is not tanking. And the team is still losing.

Orlando is putting out its best lineups with its depleted roster. And the team is still losing.

With the Magic sitting at 22-53 and fourth in the lottery odds, there is no doubt this is a bad team. They will lose games. They have lost plenty of games even with their best players on the floor.

Orlando never needed help to lose. The roster is fatally flawed.

Worse still, the team has a sort of defeatist culture. The team wilts when teams make big pushes — a nasty side effect of five years of losing.

Still, the Magic have to show a little bit more. And against opponents like the Chicago Bulls and Wednesday’s opponent like the Brooklyn Nets, the team should show much more. A minuscule goal like leaving the homestand with a winning record was within reach. Instead, Orlando dropped the ball twice.

At a very baseline level, the team has to display a consistent effort. Instead in both those games — against two teams even with them in the standings — those two teams outclassed and outworked the Magic. And that should never be the case. Not with Orlando’s small margin for error to win. Even at full strength.

The Magic have been dutifully trying to win games to end this season. This may upset fans who want to tank or position for lottery picks, but the team recognizes this is how they rebuild their culture and a foundation for the future.

But they should build that foundation on playing hard and playing with energy. That baseline is a requirement for any team. And not something the Magic can let go.

Constantly in these last two games, the Nets and Bulls beat the Magic to loose balls. Orlando’s defense was disconnected and the team was giving up points seemingly with some ease.

It was not like Chicago was dominating offensively on Friday. But there was Arcidiacono getting open in the corner for three in transition and four Magic players staring at him in the paint as he shot.

Vogel said a team’s effort is most clearly seen in rebounds and transition defense. These are two areas the Magic have continued to struggle with. Orlando simply is not playing with effort. Certainly not enough to win games. Even against obviously tanking teams.

Chicago is tanking. That is why they threw out a ridiculously undermanned lineup. Orlando lost to a team Friday that did not want to win the game. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg did not employ lineups that were meant to win. The players played hard enough to win.

It is hard to say the same thing about the Magic.

Like everything else throughout the season, Orlando’s players say the right things. They say they are not focused on ping pong balls.

Their actions say something different. The Magic are not playing like a team that is tanking. They are playing like something worse.

Next: Grades: Chicago Bulls 90, Orlando Magic 82

They are playing like a team that readily gives up. And there is nothing salvageable about that.