The Orlando Magic were clinging to their lead, leading by two points in the final minute of the game Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Magic had their two-way and G-League players in. Nobody would sweat a loss. But winning is always better. And everybody on both benches was engaged in seeing the deep-bench players get the win.
Preseason clutch time does not matter nearly as much. But it is still compelling theater. And it is a way for players to stand out.
What ultimately decided the Magic's win over the Grizzlies was the thing that one of their key end-of-bench players could provide.
Alex Morales had spent the entire game just squeezing into space and outworking often bigger players for offensive rebounds. He extended possessions and gave his team a chance to score again. It often was not him scoring.
And so his fifth offensive board proved consequential.
The rebound and putback gave the Magic a four-point lead with 12 seconds to play, all but icing the game (it did not, because of Walter Clayton's 3-point shooting heroics). That was a perfect encapsulation of what Morales can be.
"We talked to Alex about part of his role being doing the dirty work," coach Sean Sweeney said after Wednesday's game. "He did that throughout the course of the night. He had a lot of winning plays. He made a lot of invisible plays throughout, doing things to help the team win that didn't show up the way that did. It's nice that he did get that opportunity to capitalize on something. He was working hard, going to the boards throughout the night."
Morales' stat line was not overly impressive.
He had only four points to go with those 10 rebounds and five offensive rebounds. He shot 2-for-5 and missed his two 3-pointers. That does not stand out on paper.
But anyone watching the game could not help but notice Morales. He was everywhere making big plays that extended possessions. Sweeney was right to say he mastered those hidden plays that win games.
That is what he will be asked to do. That is what comes with being a two-way player.
The two-way role
Excuse Orlando Magic fans for not being too familiar with Alex Morales.
He was added as a two-way player last year after the team converted Jamal Cain to a full contract. He appeared in four games, playing 24 minutes, to score eight points. He had four assists, four turnovers and seven fouls. It was not a lot of time, and it was not particularly memorable.
With the Osceola Magic last year, Morales averaged 17.5 points per game and shot 39.4 percent from three. In Summer League, he averaged 8.3 points per game and shot 12 for 28 (42.9 percent) from the floor.
It is easy to overlook Morales. He is not someone accumulating a ton of stats. Last year was the first time he averaged more than 10.0 points per game in four years with the Magic's G-League team.
But that speaks to what Morales is about. And why he can be successful as a two-way player.
"I don't have too many individual goals. Just to showcase that all the intangible stuff that I contribute at Osceola, I'm able to do the same thing at this level," Morales said at Media Day. "Just to be the support to the team that we have wherever we need it."
That is the definition of what a two-way player is supposed to do.
They are not the leading scorers when they get called up to the NBA. They are expected to fill a role and fill in minutes. They are expected to bring energy and add something when their number is called.
That is exactly what Morales did in Wednesday's preseason win. That is exactly what he hopes to do for this team. Morales is about the dirty work. He knows that is his ticket to the NBA and how he can standout to coaches.
That is how he can impact winning at any level.
The two-way path
Do not expect Alex Morales to get tons of playing time.
If he is playing, it means that there were tons of injuries. And the questions about his shooting and how he could contribute on offense are warranted.
But that is not the role a two-way player often addresses. What the Magic have gotten out of their two-way players is pure energy.
Players like Trevelin Queen and Jamal Cain turned games solely on that energy. They turned games solely because they played hard and made things happen. That is how both made an impact and helped the Magic win games.
Morales is following that same path. He is all about the team.
"I'm just looking to add team success," Morales said at Media Day. "I'm looking to be a part of something special team-wise. And then being able to fill in and support the team whenever they need it. Doing all the intangible stuff, all the dirty work. I'm just looking to be part of something special and making a run."
That is what teams want to hear from players in Morales' situation. It is why he got the two-way deal over higher-scoring players. Orlando does not want another dominant scorer. The team wants a competitor who will do the dirty work.
Already Morales is proving he will do that work. That is what will help him stand out.
That is what will lead the Magic to call on him if they get desperate.
And it is one of the big reasons the Magic won Wednesday night in their preseason opener.
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