Goga Bitadze's grit and resilience essential again for Orlando Magic

Midway through the third quarter Wednesday, Goga Bitadze was livid.

It started earlier in the possession when Pascal Siakam tried to fight through a screen and hit Bitadze in the face. Bitadze tried to sell the foul and fell to the court and then gave the officials a look when he did not hear a whistle. By the end of the play Franz Wagner had drawn a foul and Bitadze was making sure Siakam understood his displeasure.

This is a physical Orlando Magic team. They are not afraid to back down from anybody—remember Jalen Suggs and Darius Garland's get-together in Game 4? But they are usually not instigating much like this. They are usually not the ones shoving first with extra-curriculars. They get under opponents' skins with their defensive intensity and physicality. Their play does the pushing and shoving.

If the Magic need a reputation as a more rugged and physical team, Bitadze is the kind of player that gives it to them. He does a lot of the dirty work that the team needs and does it without complaint or expectation of doing anything else.

And so Bitadze and Siakam needed to be separated. Bitadze was not going to take that physicality lying down. And after the two players were split apart, the Magic's play did plenty to put the Pacers to bed.

And Bitadze's play speaks for itself.

"I thought it was great. Six offensive rebounds, 12 rebounds total, big-time blocks at the right time. He gave us that spark," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Wednesday's win over the Indiana Pacers. "It got a little chippy. But we're OK with that and he's OK with that. And I think that's part of what makes him him. He plays with that little bit of an edge. And I think that helped out a ton tonight to get our guys going a little bit more. I think we went on a run right after that."

The Magic did not need a defensive spark. But the team is tight enough that they rallied to his defense. Newcomer Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the first to get into the shouting match that was developing as the teams tried to separate the two players.

Ultimately, the double technical fouls midway through the third quarter was a small moment in a physical game played to the Magic's liking. It was a signal of how the Magic were not going to give up ground and push back.

A few possessions later, Bitadze rolled to the short corner and drained a 16-foot jumper, a rare sign of a jump shot that is constantly in development. But most of Bitadze's work is in the paint and on the glass. He has given the Magic a more pronounced presence on the interior.

Bitadze steps back in

That stat line has become normal for Goga Bitadze.

This season, Bitadze is averaging 7.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. In his six games as a starter since returning from his own foot issue, he is averaging 10.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, becoming a consistent double-double threat.

More than that, he has posted 10 blocks in six games and opponents have shot 53.1 percent against him at the rim for the season, according to data from Second Spectrum, behind only Tristan da Silva (44.8 percent), Jonathan Isaac (47.6 percent), and Wendell Carter (50.0 percent).

Bitadze is a bit louder with his rim protection because of his shot-blocking, but he has given the team no drop-off from Carter's solid start.

Where Bitadze has made a major impact is around the rim and above the rim. His ability to jump quickly and finish at the basket on alley-oops is a big plus for a team that relies so much on ball-handlers getting downhill and forcing defenses to react.

Bitadze is not having plays run for him. But he has been a perfect fit nonetheless for his willingness to fill in and do whatever his team needs.

The coaching staff and the team has always understood Bitadze will do whatever is needed from him. He is someone who wants to contribute anyway he can.

"[The coaches are] really honest with me. If I'm not doing something right, they're going to come up to me and tell me, 'Goga you're not doing your job,'" Bitadze said after Wednesday's game. "Me listening to it and watching the film and watching the games. Nobody's perfect. I can work on everything. Defensively as well, we have a defensive mindset. I knew I had to work on this. It's coming along. I knew I have a lot to work on."

The Magic have a lot of trust in Bitadze because of this selflessness. He stepped in at a critical moment last year too filing in for Carter during the beginning of the season too.

Bitadze has earned his spot, earned some revenge

It was clear Goga Bitadze could play last year. It was clear he should be in the rotation. It is still just as clear now. And the Magic will have some difficult choices when Wendell Carter returns.

Of course, that dilemma made it surprising that Bitadze signed a fresh three-year, $25-million contract. Bitadze was just thankful to remain in Orlando where he felt valued.

That was the other storyline underneath the game Wednesday. For Bitadze, this game was a little personal. He still has some sore feelings about how the Indiana Pacers left him on the scrap heap two years ago. The games against his former team matter to him.

He was not going to take a shove or something that felt beyond the normal physical bounds of basketball. He was going to fight back as he has fought back in his career.

Bitadze is making the most of his opportunity and doing the most to defend his team.

"Just staying with it. I kept working, kept believing in God and God's timing. That's all it is," Bitadze said after Wednesday's game. "I prayed about this day that I would get a chance to play and play with these guys and beat my old team. It always feels great. We have beaten them a lot of times the last couple of games. It's working out well."

Bitadze again is making the most of his opportunity. That is all anyone could ask for. And Bitadze has embraced the opportunity again.

He has given the Magic a necessary edge considering they are without Paolo Banchero and finding their identity all over again. He has helped stabilize the team in many ways. Including that grit and determination that makes a good defense.

Bitadze still has a lot more to prove. And he is delivering once again for the Magic when they need him.