The Orlando Magic had everything in front of them. They had the golden opportunity.
The young Raptors kept the door open for a second straight game. They gave Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner a chance to be the stars they are.
All it would take is for someone to take that chance and grab it. It would take the team to make that statement.
Toronto pulled its veteran starters in Scotie Barnes, R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Jakob Poeltl late in the fourth quarter in a blatant tanking move to let Orlando back in the game, only for A.J. Lawson to hit three huge shots to give Toronto the lead and force Paolo Banchero to answer.
The Magic took the lead on a pair of Banchero free throws with four seconds left. They had it in their grasp.
But that was not enough. Ja'Kobe Walter drained a three over Tristan da Silva with 0.5 seconds left to give the Raptors a 114-113 victory and send the Magic to their fourth straight loss and 1-5 on this critical seven-game homestand.
Orlando did not seize the opportunity, as it has struggled all season. The team let itself down through a series of self-inflicted mistakes throughout the game. The team again wasted another brilliant performance from its two young All-Stars.
The Magic are still searching for themselves and finding the results they seek are beyond their grasp.
"I think we have to do some soul searching," Paolo Banchero said after Tuesday's loss. "Just trying to figure it out. The good thing about a time like this is the only way you can go is up. We've got to come together and figure out a way for everybody to play with that confidence and swag because right now it doesn't really feel that way."
It feels like the team can only get better. But this was a chance for the Magic to build some confidence. Instead, Orlando faced another crushing defeat where the game was taken from the team and the team gave it aways despite its best efforts. That has become the story of this recent run as the Magic continue to sink in the standings.
Magic must help themselves
Paolo Banchero said the team must unite and reset themselves to regain their lost confidence. They must set themselves straight. Ultimately the only people that can get the Magic out are themselves.
That is what Paolo Banchero certainly did, scoring 22 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter including 18 in the final 7.5 minutes as the Magic erased a 10-point deficit to take the lead briefly late in the game. He made 14 of 20 shots and four of his five 3-pointers to go with eight rebounds and eight assists.
He did everything for this team. And he was helped by Franz Wagner's 28 points on 11-for-23 shooting. The Magic's two young stars did all they could to carry the team to the finish line.
With the Raptors leaving the door open with their rotation decisions, the Magic played with the urgency and intensity this team has been hungry for. Their star took over.
But Orlando made too many self-inflicted mistakes. They gave up a 20-4 run in the third quarter where the Raptors took eight free throws. Toronto tallied 14 of its 35 free throws in the third quarter as the team took over the game.
The Raptors also added 24 second-chance points on 13 offensive rebounds. They were able to steal points and possessions to throw the Magic off rhythm in a game made disjointed by 52 total fouls and 58 free throws (the Magic took 23 free throws in the game).
Orlando's offense hits its natural lull in the third quarter, making only four of 20 shots in a third quarter that took 40 minutes to complete. The Magic could not gain separation and found themselves climbing uphill yet again.
"We are playing way below our standard at points in these games," Franz Wagner said after Tuesday's loss. "Part of it is staying together and then also finding joy in playing basketball. Even when it is not going your way, we get to play. But it's a thing we have to fix as a unit. I think in these moments there are two ways to go about it. It's a good test to see what we're made of."
That seems to be the theme of the season. Orlando has seen its two star players emerge as just that superstar players. And yet, they have been unable to get over the hump. They have been unable to seize the opportunities in front of them.
Carefree and confident
The Orlando Magic are lacking the confidence and belief to climb all the way back.
They played like the Toronto Raptors did throughout November and December. They felt invincible even with the injuries they faced. The Raptors benched their entire veteran group and let the young players carry them to the end. They got eight fourth-quarter points from A.J. Lawson and a game-winning shot from rookie Ja'Kobe Walter.
"Coach drew up the play for me and no matter what I was going to try to get open," Walter said after Tuesday's game. "I know we were only down by two, but I was going to go for the win. I shot it—I was trying to get the foul as well, but I was still looking at the basket—cash!"
These were Cole Anthony and Trevelin Queen in November and December. These were the energetic and carefree plays the Magic were making.
The Magic know they have that fight somewhere in them. It has been difficult to find it, even with the faith the team still has verbally about itself.
All the small things the Magic did to win in November and December are going the other way now. The Magic are not the ones playing with extreme and irrational confidence.
All that is left is a determination to keep trying to find it. That is all the team can do.
"They're going to keep fighting," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Tuesday's loss. "We're going to keep fighting. That's the spirit of the Orlando Magic. They are going to keep fighting no matter what's happening. That's who we are. That's who we'll continue to be. This is a tough stretch right now. That's the reality of the situation. You have to look the reality in the face and say what am I going to do when it is difficult? This team has toughness, it has focus, it has the ability to stay together and do the right thing and come out and play the right way the next night."
They are struggling to find themselves right now. And that has let the Magic's grip on their future and what they can accomplish this season slip away.
Missing the opportunity
The opportunity has always been there. The Orlando Magic were still in fourth when Jalen Suggs got hurt. Even with how poorly the Magic have played they are still within striking distance of hosting a Play-In game and winning their division.
Their two star players are playing well and getting better after returning from major injuries. Everything for this team should be pointing up.
Instead, the Magic are sliding back down.
"I think the only way to go about this is to stick together and be even more together in the games, finding more huddles, talking out mistakes when they happen," Wagner said after Tuesday's loss. "I think just also realizing it's part of the journey. It's not always going to go your way in a game or a season. Whether we are playing below expectations, it doesn't matter once the ball is in the air."
They are 8-19 since Jalen Suggs' injury on Jan. 3 (he is out for the season). They are struggling to have everyone on a defensive string and fill in their roles around the star players. They are struggling to play with confidence.
They are not finding themselves and they are squandering the chances in front of them.