Anthony Black did not seem any worse for wear when he spoke to the media after shootaround on Tuesday morning.
The Orlando Magic made several key mistakes down the stretch that cost them the game on Sunday against the Houston Rockets. None seemed bigger than the free throw Black missed with less than two seconds to play that would have given them a three-point lead.
The true test of character for the Magic was always going to be how they responded to that defeat on the road. Would they remain frustrated with the loss or come back with the same effort and intensity? Would they trust their process?
No player exemplified the change between Sunday's loss and Tuesday's win more than Black.
Black made his first five free throws as the team missed only two of their 29 attempts in the game. He scored 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting, passing on the threes he was not making to attack the paint and basket, finishing with force and aggression.
It was the mindset the Magic needed to race past the Warriors and hold on for a 121-113 win. It was the details they were missing Sunday that they found again Tuesday.
It is yet another sign the Magic are heading in the right direction.
"It's never an easy game playing these guys and playing players like Steph[en Curry]," Franz Wagner said after Tuesday's game. "I liked our confidence and our aggressiveness all game. I think it's what won the game today."
They did not let the disappointment of their mistakes or an overtime loss derail their next outing. They learned from it and moved forward. They did not let a setback compound. They embraced their identity.
As the Magic have come out of their slow start, they are showing this mental toughness and resilience again. They are beginning to stack wins the way they always envisioned.
It starts on defense
Every team needs to find their way to win. They all have a formula and what they need to do.
The Orlando Magic have always known it starts on defense for them. That is the core of their identity. That was something that was perhaps lost a bit as they tried to reconfigure their offense.
The Magic have started to find a better balance with that and find the right way for them to play. It just took some experimenting early in the season.
"I think tonight was a prime example of sticking to our identity that we have built in the last two or three years of being a defensive team and letting the offense kind of take care of itself," Wendell Carter said after Tuesday's win. "You add guys like Desmond [Bane] and AB [Anthony Black] being aggressive, it makes us super dynamic on the defensive end. We got back to our identity on defense."
Carter was key defensively on multiple levels as he finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, recording his third double-double of the season.
The Magic gave up 50.0 percent shooting and 13 for 36 from three against the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry scored 22 of his 34 points in the first half. But the Magic wore down the Warriors and Curry in the second half with their physical and unrelenting effort.
Curry made just two of his eight shots in the second half. The Warriors were 3 for 14 from three. Outside of Jimmy Butler's 17 second-half points, Golden State had few offensive options.
The Warriors committed 10 of their 18 turnovers in the second half. The Magic scored 13 points off turnovers. That lead to 13 fast-break points in the second half -- 28 for the game.
This is what the Magic's focus on pace was supposed to be. The team was meant to turn its defense into offense. That was the basis for everything.
Orlando's defense led the way and generated the offense the way it is supposed to. The Magic continue to embrace heir identity.
The right pace
The early part of the season was stunning, as much for the team's record as it was with how the Magic were playing in those games.
They did not look like the Magic as they tried to put their offense into overdrive. Everyone noted how much faster the team was playing.
It is no coincidence then that while the Magic continue to look for more transition opportunities -- 21.2 transition possessions per game this year compared to 17.9 last year -- they have slowed down considerably.
Orlando posted a pace of 103.9 possessions per 48 minutes in the first five games where the team went 1-4. The Magic have played at a glacial pace of 98.9 possessions per 48 minutes. That has helped them set up their defense and been a more comfortable spot for them.
Tuesday's game was played at 103.0 possessions per 48 minutes, showing the Magic can speed things up when they need to.
That has not slowed down the team's transition attack. Orlando had 28 fast-break points and attacked off Golden State's misses. The defense powered the pace and energy for the team. That taking the lead is what has changed for Orlando.
On a night the Magic made only 8 of 32 threes -- making four of them in the first quarter alone -- they kept emphasizing the paint and attacking the rim.
Orlando sored 64 points in the paint and had 14 second-chance points. The Magic were in constant attack mode.
That is a mindset that has permeated the rest of the roster more consistently. It is one of the reasons the Magic have made their turnaround.
The Magic have turned things around, winning seven of their last 10 games. Their formula is still getting refined, particularly with Paolo Banchero still out of the lineup.
But Orlando needed an answer after Sunday's loss. The team needed to trust that its formula and its process and not let that loss become two losses or lose faith in what they have built.
The Magic are continuing to stack wins and build on their process.
"Sunday was a tough loss," Tyus Jones said after Tuesday's win. "But I think it was so tough because we played so well. We felt that. It's one thing if you go there and lay an egg. We felt like we played well enough to win. There are no moral victories, but at the same time that's how we've got to play and compete on a night-to-night basis. And we'll give ourselves a chance to win a lot of games."
The Magic answered the call and continue to find their formula to keep improving and meeting expectations.