Anthony Black takes Orlando Magic to another level

It started innocently enough.

The Orlando Magic could not hit a shot in the first quarter until Tyus Jones hit two threes between an Anthony Black three to tie the game at the end of the quarter.

That was the spark the team needed. It was the spark that Anthony Black needed.

What followed in the second quarter was something that still feels unfathomable. It was the kind of quarter that feels impossible, especially with the kind of offense the Magic have played the last decade and a half.

The Magic set several offensive records in Tuesday's 144-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers including the record for most points in a half (86) and quarter (51). It all started with their barometer of offensive success and aggression: Anthony Black.

The way Black goes is often the way the team goes. So when he has a performance like he had Tuesday, scoring 20 of his career-high 31 points in that record-setting second quarter, it represents everything that feels possible for the Magic. It represents the way Black can take this team to its next level.

"I think we're just moving the ball a lot more," Black said after Tuesday's win. "The ball is popping. Guys are playing off closeouts and getting open shots. Our defense is stepping up also, which is allowing us to get transition looks. That sparks our offense and defense and our energy on the team when we get layups and dunks."

It is the reason they are now seventh in the league in offensive rating and seem eager to keep climbing. The Magic have found a formula to succeed.

Black has found a way to keep this team attacking and moving forward.

Black as the bellweather

It has been so long since the Orlando Magic could claim anything good on offense. And the league still seems to think the team is not a good offensive team.

Teams will still sag off Anthony Black in the corner. It is not that teams are taking a breather, but there is still a lack of trust in the Magic's shooting.

The Magic's offense is sort of like Black's reputation as an offensive player. There is potential, and it should work a lot better, but there is hesitancy and caution with it. It sometimes operates without certainty or confidence.

Ever since the Magic drafted Black, teammates have begged him to be more assertive and aggressive. They saw the potential he could have with his size and speed.

He never quite put all the pieces together.

When Black is assertive, he transforms this team. And that is what transformed Tuesday's game.

"I think just being aggressive," Black said after Tuesday's win. "Taking risks. I shot a couple of shots that I might get looked sideways for. But it's just being aggressive, taking risks and trusting myself."

"I'm still trying to figure it out. I feel like there are more levels I can tap into. I feel I can impact the game on two sides. I think I can do it."

Black has gotten into the habit this year of trying to dunk on a defender. He had a dunk blocked in the second quarter. But it was only a few possessions later when he got the ball in transition and floated to the hoop for a dunk.

Then the 3-pointers started falling. A spot-up here. A step-back there. There was a half-court alley-oop and another few aggressive and crafy finishes aroun the basket.

Black was just putting in points and the Magic were feeding him more. But he was patient and picking his spots. It all felt so naturally in the flow. The game had slowed down for him.

The calls for him to be aggressive were answered. And Black was piling on the points as the Magic began to build their lead.

Suddenly, the game was completely out of hand.

The Magic put the pieces together

The Orlando Magic are like Anthony Black in that way.

They are still trying to put the pieces together and find the right balance offensively.

Early in the season, like Black can at times, they were too aggressive and trying to play too fast. They did not have enough control and became frustrated with the results.

Now, the Magic know what makes them successful. They are playing with loads more confidence. They are being aggressive and finding ways to get to the basket.

The Magic are finding offense in transition, scoring 25 fast-break points and 36 points off 21 turnovers Tuesday. They used their defense to fuel their offense in what turned into one of their best defensive showings of the season.

They have successfully turned their defense into an offensive engine in a way they did not last year.

"I really just think we talk about the running game, but more than anything, we talk about our defense," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Tuesday's game. "Our defense was able to sit down and get stops to be able to convert on the other end of the floor. Then we shared the basketball. Our ability to trust the pass, trust the open man. The right man gets the ball. We guarded and were able to share it and move it the right way."

Mosley tried to emphasize the team's defense in his postgame comments. And it deserves its credit -- a 96.3 defensive rating, their third time with a defensive rating better than 100 points per 100 possessions. He credited the team's selflessness. The team recorded a season-high 38 assists.

It is again, a new aggressive mindset with the ball. The Magic are always a thrat to attack.

The Magic may not be a knockdown 3-point shooting team yet, but they find other ways to score and press their advantage. It still starts with their defense first and foremost.

"When we play the right wya and play with intention, how good we can be offensively and defensively," Black said after Tuesday's win. "The fact that we can set the tone that way on the road against a good team is always good."

The difference now is the offense can carry its weight. The Magic hit Thanksgiving seventh in the league in offensive rating. All those records are producing results.

Black has always been a barometer for the team's success. And he and this team are finding a way to always stay on and reach another level.