Every long playoff run has moments of doubt.
Narratives change so quickly game by game. A team can be riding high after a big win and question everything after a devastating loss.
A 3-1 series lead gave the Orlando Magic some small cushion. They could absorb their Game 5 loss.
But that is only followed by the pressure of playing a Game 6 at home and avoiding facing elimination themselves -- only for them on the road. The Magic have lost their margin for error.
All the questions, all the confidence, all the lessons come to a head tonight at the Kia Center. The Magic are taking all they have learned and all the adversity in front of them and must overcome it one more time.
"That's why it's a seven-game series," coach Jamahl Mosley said after shootaround on Friday. "That's part of it. You have to know what you've done well and how you capitalize on that, and then know what you need to clean up. That's a big portion of what we worked on this morning, cleaning up things we didn't execute in the last game."
The Playoffs, as everyone acknowledge, are very different from the regular season. The extreme focus on one opponent allows teams to dive into the details. It is purely about matchups.
What changes in the Playoffs is the pressure and attention that comes after defeats. It is all about the response.
To advance out of the Playoffs, the Magic have one more bit of adversity to overcome.
Answers to Game 5
Game 5 itself was a battle for the Orlando Magic.
They committed five fouls in the first seven possessions. That put them on their back foot and down 15 points in the first half and down 12 at the end of the first quarter.
Orlando had to find some resolve and battle back within the game. They got it to within six at halftime. After falling behind by 15 points in the fourth quarter, the Magic rallied again to cut the deficit to three with a minute to play.
If something is encouraging from the game, it is how the Magic continually fought back. They responded to the challenge, even if they came short.
"I think that's the playoffs," Desmond Bane said after shootaround Friday. "Mentally and physically, can you handle the toll? Winning games, losing games, playing well, not playing well, home, road. I'm excited for the challenge, and I think our group is ready to make it happen."
That is what everyone has learned about the Playoffs. It is always about what happens when a team is challenged and gets pushed.
Winning in the Playoffs is not supposed to be easy. In this series, especially, every inch has been contested.
But the team that responds to adversity is the one that wins.
Orlando blitzed Detroit early in Game 1 and made plays down the stretch. The Magic took the big run in Game 2, but answered in the fourth quarter to build momentum going home. They had a 17-point lead in Game 3 only to lose it and finish on a 9-0 run to win the game. In Game 4, they shut the Detroit Pistons down in the final minutes to win.
Game 5 saw that call and response that left the Magic shot. Detroit finally responded. Now it is Orlando's turn.
"I think that's the most important thing is handling some adversity," Wendell Carter said after shootaround Friday. "We've had a lot of adversity throughout this season. The stakes are high for sure. But it's nothing we haven't seen before. Just over the years, when our backs have been against the wall, and everyone counted us out, we always seem to respond. I trust this group is going to do what's needed to get the job done tonight."
Unlike the Pistons, the Magic have handled a lot more direct adversity this season.
They had to deal with the ups and downs and injuries this season. They had to fight off elimination in the Play-In Tournament. That seemed to give the Magic a sharper edge to open this series. They have only gained confidence since then.
It has led to a very focused team for tonight's game.
The key is the start
The Orlando Magic expected a heavy punch to open Game 2 after their surprise victory. The Detroit Pistons took control early before using the big third-quarter run to put the game away.
Orlando answered with an early lead in the first quarter of Game 4 (they ended up losing the quarter by one). Neither team wants to climb uphill in this series. With these defenses, that becomes a huge challenge for them to overcome.
The Magic want to get off to a good start and assert their physicality.
"We've got to come out and set the tone," Desmond Bane said after shootaround Friday. "I'm sure our fans are going to be great. I'm excited to play in front of them. Come out, play hard and be the team that we've been throughout the series. I think we'll be just fine."
But it is not just the start of the games that matter, of course. There is a long way to go in the 48 minutes, even if the team that sets the tone has typically gained control.
The winning team on Friday will be the one who deals with the adversity that is natural in a game -- or in a series -- the best. That is one of the reasons why the Magic are in the lead.
"I think the biggest thing with playoff basketball is being able to handle the adversity," Wendell Carter said after shootaround Friday. "Playing on the road, crowd getting involved, limiting your mistakes. I think those are the biggest things we have learned over the years. We have put ourselves in a good position to take a series for the first time since I've been here. It's just about getting the job done, however that looks."
Orlando has played with a lot of poise throughout this series. The team has withstood some heavy punches and runs throughout, even in its wins.
There is one more hurdle to overcome. It is the toughest hurdle: Ending a team's season.
Orlando has done it in multiple ways this season. The Magic have overcome a lot of their own flaws and issues to be in this moment.
All that is left is to win the game.
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