Can the Orlando Magic continue winning close games?
A lot of fans like to put an emphasis on close games and clutch situations. The barber shop talk is about who will take the last shot. And a criticism of Orlando is that the team does not have “that guy” who can win at the end.
Of course, this is somewhat nonsense. The Magic have already had a buzzer-beating three from Evan Fournier in an impossible comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers. And Terrence Ross has hit several big shots for the team down the stretch.
But it is also fair to criticize some of the team’s late-game execution. In the season opener, the Orlando Magic nearly lost an eight-point lead in the final two minutes to the Miami Heat thanks to some untimely turnovers and missed shots.
There is something to performing late in games. Especially for a team like the Magic who figure to hang around .500. Every game matters and so close games take on added importance.
Often for a lot of teams in these middling records, the difference between 40-plus wins and a Playoff berth and a team that struggles to get past 35 is how they play in close games.
And so far, the Magic have played a lot of close games. In the team’s first 21 games, the Magic played 14 games that were within five points in the final five minutes. They were 8-6 in those games. Of the seven games that were not within that margin, the Magic won just once.
That is all to say, Orlando is playing and winning almost exclusively close games. That explains their relatively meager and poor net rating. It is also a sign that maybe some of the Magic’s early season success is a bit of a mirage.
Yes, the Magic are playing in a more sustainable way than previous successful spurts. But, at least statistically, it all feels a bit precarious. Things could change very quickly.
Last year, for example, Steve Clifford’s Charlotte Hornets teams went 16-25 in close games. Even getting to .500 there would likely put that team in the postseason.
No doubt, Orlando is doing some good things in late-game situations. Or maybe it is just enough. Maybe the Magic need to be better about avoiding close games and closing things out before they get to these clutch moments.
Winning close games is not sustainable. The good teams win their close games. But to play this large amount of close games leaves a lot to chance. And things can turn quickly.
Right now, the Magic are winning enough of their close games to stay around .500.