Orlando Magic rise to playoff moment, showing their growth this season

The Orlando Magic took a big punch in the first quarter as the Miami Heat brought playoff intensity. They punched back and withstood their playoff test.

Michael Biamonte’s voice booms throughout the American Airlines Arena. His voice is synonymous with the Miami Heat in the same way Paul Porter remains the voice for the Orlando Magic at games.

The idiosyncratic taunts and calls to a game he gives are designed to delight the home crowd and drive opposing fans mad. A good PA announcer like Biamonte helps the energy in the building rise and cue the crowd to add noise to intimidate opponents.

He has provided the soundtrack to three NBA titles and countless other moments throughout Dwyane Wade‘s career. Hearing his voice reverberate throughout the building lets you know something is going wrong. He whips the crowd into an even heightened frenzy this time of year.

Even with Miami’s reputation for being a late-arriving crowd, the energy in the building and the noise level resembled a playoff atmosphere from the start Tuesday. Everyone knew how big this game was for the two teams in the playoff chase, even if it was just for the eighth seed.

This is a new feeling for everyone on the Magic. This is the playoff/meaningful game experience Orlando has sought for so long. And it seemed overwhelming early on.

And even after storming back to retake the lead, the Heat crowd began to pick up energy and noise in the fourth quarter. The organic cheers were thundering down on the court and the Magic were trying to fight against all the tides against them.

Especially Wade’s scoring onslaught in the fourth quarter, getting the crowd stirred up and loud. The momentum was going against them and their lead was holding on by a thread.

As if to make the statement they are playoff ready or playoff capable, the Magic did not flinch down the stretch in the fourth quarter. They rose to the moment in the 104-99 win over the Heat and silenced the road crowd.

That is what a playoff team must do. And in their first real playoff-like atmosphere and a game with very real stakes, the team measured up.

Jonathan Isaac was the perfect example of this growth and how the Magic suddenly charged back into the game and held on for the critical victory.

Jonathan Isaac started the game cold. The Heat left him open on the perimeter and dared him to shoot, hoping to live with a 31.9 percent 3-point shooter. He missed four 3-pointers in the first quarter alone and started off 1 for 5.

The Magic seemed to settle for 3-pointers as they struggled to get the ball moving. The Heat’s zone defense forced the Magic into a grind-it-out game and Orlando could not get its feet under it.

More importantly, the crowd was really into the game. The Heat were playing with desperation and energy and the crowd was feeding the energy. It was definitely louder

That led to defensive breakdowns and inconsistency. A 12-0 run to end the first quarter had the Heat crowd loud and engaged. Orlando was falling deep into a trap. The moment looked too big for them at times. They were taking a playoff punch and staggering.

Orlando found its footing but had a lot of ground to make up, trailing by as much as 17.

The energy for the game dissipated some after halftime. The Heat honored Chris Bosh and retired his jersey in a 30-plus minute ceremony and the crowd was a bit late getting back into the game.

The Magic took advantage. Isaac hit three 3-pointers on his way to 11 points in the quarter. The Magic turned the deficit into a lead before anyone knew what happened. Now the Magic were feeling the confidence they could win this game. Their defense was in rhythm.

The Heat had one more punch. The crowd had one more swell in them. And the Magic would have to respond once again.

Wade scored 12 of the Heat’s 14 points in the first four-plus minutes of the quarter. Miami closed a seven-point deficit down to two. No one whips the Heat crowd into a frenzy quite like Wade and his heroics. And he has played like a man on a mission to get into the playoffs in his final season.

The noise inside the building began to become deafening. To close this game would take the right approach and a steeled will to silence the crowd.

But that is what playoff teams have to do.

Terrence Ross started the run with a block on a Josh Richardson layup. Three possessions later, Jonathan Isaac swatted a shot from James Johnson and Nikola Vucevic hit a three to give the Magic a seven-point lead again.

It was no sigh of relief. But Orlando clearly stood up to the pressure of that moment. They clearly faced the playoff pressure and atmosphere and had stood tall.

But with the crowd trying desperately to get their team back into the game, it was the Orlando defense that stood tall.

The Heat cut the lead to two again and the Magic executed pick and rolls to perfection. Nikola Vucevic made shots around the basket and worked the offensive glass. The calming force gave the team the scoring punch to push back into the lead.

And again silence the crowd.

The Magic displayed poise and confidence they have lacked at times this year. There were shaky moments, but their defense stood tall in the closing moments. It anchored their way to a win.

This was certainly the first game the Magic have played with playoff pressure and these kinds of stakes. For much of the game, the game was played with playoff intensity and atmosphere.

It is one thing to talk about this kind of a game and atmosphere. It is another thing to play in it.

The nerves for the game were pretty clear early on. The Magic did not rise to the moment and seemed overwhelmed by the energetic effort the Heat brought to the game. That does not bode well for the future and is a lesson learned for these kinds of games.

But Orlando ended up rising to the occasion. They rose to the challenge and found their calm. When the intensity ratcheted up in the fourth quarter, they withstood all the pressure and all the punches the Heat threw at them.

By the final two minutes, the Heat crowd was silent. Biamonte’s tones were muted as he announced a Magic win. If this was a playoff test, the Magic passed.

That experience will be valuable because each of the final seven games will feel this way. Especially Thursday’s game against the Detroit Pistons.

After the Detroit Pistons lost to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, their players were already saying it is a playoff game for them. The next test is around the corner.