The vibe inside T-Mobile Arena was an odd one.
The NBA Cup semifinals had a lot of stakes attached to it, but it did not have a particularly engaged crowd -- unless the game became close, as the San Antonio Spurs' win over the Oklahoma City Thunder did. Everyone had to find their own energy, it seemed.
The result of the game was also a bit odd.
The Orlando Magic were undoubtedly disappointed with the way they played and their result in falling to the New York Knicks 132-120 in the semifinal.
But the season pushes on. This was not the end of the season, and so comparisons to the Playoffs fell a bit flat.
There is still a lot of season ahead and a lot of work to do before the team plays those meaningful games in the spring. And the Magic are still squarely focused on the big picture and the prize at the end of the season.
The NBA Cup was both a status check and a test of the team's ambition. It is not the end of the world that the team lost -- just as it would not have been the end of the world if they had not advanced out of the group stage. The Magic just needed to see some proof of concept of what can work.
They got the added bonus of playing on a bigger stage and going up against another title-ready contender -- who they lost to on Saturday was as important as anything.
The mindset for Orlando was to take everything in the Cup as a lesson for later in the season. They wanted to win. They understood they were capable of winning. Their hope is they can follow teams like the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder who took defeat in Las Vegas as a springboard to a long run int he Playoffs.
Young teams need defeat to teach them some lessons. What did the Magic learn then? Here are five potential lessons.
1. The Orlando Magic are good enough to win big
I got this a lot in the wake of the Orlando Magic's loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday, that the Magic would have won simply if they had Franz Wagner (more on him in a minute). And the Magic indeed played with seemingly one hand tied behind their back.
They missed having both of their stars in such a big game.
But it should also be clear with how the Orlando Magic routed the Miami Heat in the quarterfinal -- and even how the Magic played in three of their group play games without Paolo Banchero -- that they have enough to win and win big.
Orlando was within six points with 3:40 to play when Wendell Carter was called for a controversial foul on Karl-Anthony Towns that pushed the deficit to nine and closed the door on the Magic's comeback. It still took a 40-point effort from Jalen Brunson and 29-point effort from Karl-Anthony Towns to put the Magic away.
And everyone on the Magic can easily admit that they did not play their best game, particularly on defense. Paolo Banchero left a lot on the table despite his 25 points. Desmond Bane struggled to shoot. Jalen Suggs was quiet after his 25-point first half. Anthony Black could not hit a shot.
The Magic should leave Vegas and enter the rest of their season confident that they have a lot more to grow, and they are already a really good team.
They showed that in bailing themselves out of that win against the Brooklyn Nets, finishing on a 9-0 run to save the victory. They showed that in gritting out a win over the Detroit Pistons on the road with Bane scoring 37 points without making a three.
Orlando was put under pressure in these games, and the team more often than not came out on top even without playing its best. The Magic are ready to win big, and they saw something close to the vision they wanted.
2. The Orlando Magic still have a lot to learn about playing on the big stage
Still, the loss to the New York Knicks in the semifinal was illuminating.
The Orlando Magic may not have played with their full roster -- and Jalen Suggs injuring his hip only further put them behind the 8-ball -- but they still did not live up to the stage. They still fell short in an all-too-familiar, disappointing way in the spotlight.
Magic fans may have bristled with the notion that the Knicks were more ready for the stage and put the young Magic in their place. But that is honestly what felt like happened.
Jalen Brunson came out with a fire and confidence that has come from playing and stepping up in big games for years. The Magic seemed to try to ease into the game and found themselves constantly climbing uphill.
Maybe a healthier and more in-rhythm Paolo Banchero would have been ready to answer the call. Everyone knows he can from his playoff performances.
But the Magic looked a little unprepared for such a major game. They looked like they got overwhelmed by the responsibilities to the NBA and struggled to create their own energy with a weird neutral-site environment.
That is fine. Teams are supposed to hit roadblocks when they face new experiences and environments. It is better for the Magic to learn this lesson now rather than a Game 1 and 2 on the road in the second round. It should help the Magic be better prepared to face this Knicks team in the second round in the spring.
3. Desmond Bane has already transformed the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are not in these conversations and firmly believing that Eastern Conference Finals potential that this tournament rightly created without the emergence of Desmond Bane.
Through the six games in the NBA Cup, Bane delivered everything the Magic hoped for when they acquired him. It was clear how much he could elevate this team.
Bane led the Magic in scoring with 24.7 points per game, shooting 40.0 percent on 5.8 3-point attempts per game. He added 4.8 assists per game.
He had 37 points without making a three-pointer in the win over the Detroit Pistons and then followed it up with 37 points against the Miami Heat with six 3-pointers in that one.
The Magic had a 118.8 offensive rating in their NBA Cup games. They had a 124.3 offensive rating with Bane on the floor. For the season overall, the Magic have a 115.7 offensive rating and 115.6 when Bane is on the floor.
The Cup games showed what Bane can bring to this team and why the Magic gave up so much for him. Bane elevated the team on this stage. And that is what Orlando wants to see as the team prepares for the Playoffs.
4. Franz Wagner is a bigger matchup nightmare than we thought
The New York Knicks are an interesting matchup for the Orlando Magic. They have a lot of perimeter size to handle the guards, especially if the Knicks can find someplace to hide Jalen Brunson on defense. The Magic's main starting lineup, though, creates matchup nightmares for them.
OG Anunoby can only guard one player between Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. And even though Josh Hart is a good defender, he is small to deal with either of the Magic's bigs.
If there is one big lesson that is obvious that Orlando will need both of its stars to win a championship or advance deep into the Playoffs. It makes sense that better players equals a better team.
But it is more than that.
Banchero and Wagner together just create a lot of difficult matchup decisions that most teams cannot handle. That group eliminates double big lineups for some or forces double big lineups in others.
Against the Knicks, they force them to decide who to deploy Anunoby against. That frees up the other to score and attack. They opted for Banchero in most matchups, and Wagner feasted.
The Magic need both Banchero and Wagner to succeed.
5. Whole season is prepping Anthony Black for consistency
There is no stat that still correlates to the Orlando Magic's winning quite like Anthony Black's shooting. He shoots 37.3 percent from three in wins and 20.9 percent in losses. Predictably then, Black shot 1 for 6 from three in the loss to the New York Knicks in the semifinal.
A lot of attention was obviously on Anthony Black with the injury to Franz Wagner -- just like there will be even more on him now with Jalen Suggs set to miss some time with a left hip contusion.
Black's breakout season is a significant reason the Magic find themselves in the fight for the 3-seed and why they believe they can win a series with the Knicks.
After all, it was Black's career-best 31 points against the Philadelphia 76ers, including 20 in the second quarter, that got the Orlando Magic the point differential they needed to earn the top seed in the East. Black is a huge turning point player for this team.
Orlando is seeing a career-best season from Black. It is a big reason for their success. This tournament showed how vital Black will be and how much he can swing the team in one direction or the other.