Late-game execution thinning Orlando Magic’s line between winning and losing

The Orlando Magic have hit a rut of late and their poor execution late in games is a reason why the Playoffs seem to be slipping away from this team.

With five minutes to play, the Orlando Magic found themselves tied with the Brooklyn Nets at 102. They had played a sometimes sloppy and frustrating game but had pulled themselves together enough to have a real chance at a road victory against a Playoff opponent in an important game for their season.

That is all a team can really ask for. From there, they have to execute and make shots. They have to be smart and composed with the ball and find a way to scratch and claw for a win.

The difference between winning and losing is this narrow. Truly it is a few inches and a few plays. Teams that are in the Magic’s position, near .500 and hovering on the outskirts of the Playoff race, tend to play a lot of these close games. Whether they achieve their ultimate goals is dependent on performance in these close games.

During this recent stretch of games, it is here the Magic are found more than wanting.

Orlando rallied from down five at one point in the final two minutes and had a chance to tie the game. Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic executed a perfect pick and roll. Evan Fournier got the matchup he wanted on Jarrett Allen and attacked, getting to the basket for a layup — as he did in the team’s previous close matchup with the Nets on Friday.

He missed like that shot but Nikola Vucevic was there in the front of the rim ready for the rebound. He touched the ball a hair too soon before it fell off the rim. He was rightfully called for basket interference and the Magic’s chance to send the game to overtime — their chance to win — fell short.

That moment will run through the highlights and be a symbol for the team’s frustrations late in games of late.

So too will be the play down three where Vucevic could not handle a rebound and accidentally tipped it into his own basket. That is some extremely tough luck. But in close games, luck plays a factor and the game comes down not only to execution but also shot-making.

At this point, this is the element missing most for the Magic.

In the final five minutes of the game, the Magic shot 3 for 11 with four turnovers. The Nets were 4 for 8. At the moment when the pressure was at its highest, the Magic’s offense and defense wilted. A late rally still gave them a chance, but the Magic ultimately fell short because of their inability to make shots in the end.

It was like the Orlando Magic’s losses to the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons last week.

The Magic could sit back and look at the tape and see shots they generally liked. On Wednesday, Vucevic missed an open jumper and a hook shot the team normally likes from him — he was 1 for 5 in the final five minutes. They could say the same for last week’s loss to the Pistons.

Turnovers were a huge issue in Wednesday’s game. Jonathan Isaac had a double dribble that appeared to come off a deflection or a foul that was not called. And the Nets had their own miscues.

The team’s execution was not the biggest problem. This came down simply to missing shots and taking advantage of their opportunities.

Coach Steve Clifford subscribes to the belief that this is truly a miss-or-make league. His job as the coach is to put his players in a position to make shots they are comfortable with. Ultimately it is up to the players to execute and finish.

If the Magic are going to make a Playoff push, this is where things have to change most. And it comes down to the simplest things — executing, getting good shots and making them.

The team is in a rut that it can get out of. But time is running out.

Because, actually, Orlando has not been poor in close games this year.

According to NBA.com, the Magic are 13-15 in games within five points in the final five minutes. They have played the third-most close games in the league. This should highlight the importance of winning these games and how much the season could turn if Orlando could get some confidence in these situations.

As one might expect, Orlando’s offense struggles in these close games situation. It is not uncommon for efficiency to decrease as the pressure ramps up. The Magic’s offensive rating drops to 98.2 points per 100 possessions. Their defense gets slightly better at 101.4 points allowed per 100 possessions, that is the eighth-best mark in the league in close situations.

Credit the Magic’s defense for stepping up and giving the team a chance to win. That is why the Orlando Magic have had some late-game success — think the impossible comeback win over the Cleveland Cavaliers or the win over the Detroit Pistons, both culminating in Fournier game-winning jumpers. Terrence Ross has had his moments too with big shots against the Philadelphia 76ers — one in a win and another in a loss.

Those high-profile successes have trailed high-profile failures. Failures like last Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets or the overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons last week or the overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns. Not to mention the excessive amount of times the team has lost double-digit leads from the second half.

Close games give teams the chance for random chance to play effect. A player stepping out of bounds that goes uncalled — like against the Denver Nuggets — or a step-back three against good defense — like D’Angelo Russell did for the Brooklyn Nets last week or Blake Griffin with a tough step-back 3-pointer for the Detroit Pistons in overtime.

The Magic have exposed themselves to chance. And they have shown how much they struggle to make those same plays under pressure situation. Especially lately.

Winning close games would certainly turn the Magic’s fortunes around in a major way.

Still, Orlando has the 11th most wins in close games this year. They are not a poor team in the clutch, so to speak. Teams expect to go about .500 in close games and the Magic are only slightly below that mark.

The volume of these games is to be expected for a team like the Magic. It is the teams in the middle of the league who find themselves playing these games most often. That only increases the pressure to win and perform in them.

Orlando is struggling to live up to the pressure of these moments. They have hit a sort of rut — going 2-5 in these close games since Jan. 1. Just like everything else, it is their defense that has slipped the most. The Magic are giving up 107.8 points per 100 possessions in clutch situations in the last seven instances.

The margin for error is thin everywhere for the Magic. Losing too many of these close games in the way the team has is part of the reason it feels like the team is fading.

Without some calmer execution and more focused urgency, the Magic may see their Playoff dreams slip away. And they may slip away in ways that seem completely preventable in the end.