NBA Playoffs: 3 Keys for the Orlando Magic to win Game 1 over the Toronto Raptors
Survive the initial rush
The Orlando Magic seemed excited but very confident as they spoke to the media ahead of the playoffs. The team knows how special this moment is and they want to make the most of it. But at the same time, they are ready and willing to put in the work necessary to scratch out wins.
The one thing they know they cannot prepare for is the noise and intensity of these games. It is something they are well aware of. They know the Scotiabank Arena is going to be loud Saturday night. They know that each moment will feel like it has a lot of weight.
Coach Steve Clifford said he was not worried about how his team will handle the atmosphere on the road. The Magic have won tough road games throughout the regular season. And he has made sure to drill into his team how to take the right approach.
Still, it is impossible to know exactly how this group will respond until they get into that environment.
The beginning of the game itself is likely to be a fevered pitch. The arena is going to be loud and rocking for what, even Clifford admits, is probably the best team in Raptors history. There are big expectations for this team and they know they can meet them.
That is on top of the Raptors already having a strong playoff reputation for their crowd.
The first six minutes of this game are going to be a test of the Magic’s nerves and how well they handle this intensity. They are going to get thrown into the deep end immediately.
If Orlando gets blitzed early, that could spell trouble for this game at least.
The Magic have recovered plenty after taking early hits. The win over the Miami Heat a few weeks ago had a playoff-like atmosphere early in the game and the Orlando Magic went down by 17. As the game cooled off, the Magic came back and took the win — perhaps the elongated halftime helped.
There will be no cooling off of the crowd if the Raptors get rolling. Orlando will have to find its composure in a completely different environment.
It will be interesting to see how the team handles it.