The top 10 games of the Orlando Magic’s 2021 season

Top 10 Orlando Magic Games of 2021 Season

8. Chuma Okeke’s coming out party — vs. Golden State Warriors (Feb. 19)

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Defense is the base for Orlando Magic to grow

The rookies who manage to stick in the NBA all always have a moment where it clicks for them. Rookie players are usually not that great and are full of inconsistencies. But there need to be enough light bulb moments to make a team stay invested and foster that growth.

Chuma Okeke is certainly no ordinary rookie.

He showed a ton of maturity throughout the season and was clearly absorbing everything around him like a sponge. Coach Steve Clifford lamented not playing him in his natural position because of all the injuries the team had to fight through.

And then there was the injury Okeke was still obviously recovering from. It usually takes a full year for a player to regain strength and skill after a torn ACL. And Okeke was doing this while learning the NBA.

So his performance in a spirited 124-120 win over the Golden State Warriors stood out in a major way. This was Okeke’s major coming out party as a young player.

Okeke scored only 11 points in the game. But he made three 3-pointers, including two big ones in the fourth quarter as the Magic held off Stephen Curry’s late rally. Players knew this was a big moment for Okeke. He had just returned from a bone bruise in his surgically repaired knee, this game and the moment it created for him was a confidence boost that would serve him throughout the season.

This game started a strong run from him as a shooter, giving the Magic hints of the weapon they hope he will become. Rookies do crash back to earth. But Okeke showed enough in a moment like this to prove he was a keeper.

This game also featured another classic Nikola Vucevic performance — 30 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. It just showed what a gargantuan effort it would take for the Magic to upend a team like the Warriors.