Desmond Bane was trying to get himself going.
The Orlando Magic found themselves down big against the Atlanta Hawks after a frustratingly poor first half offensively. Their defense could not keep up with the pace and speed those misses created.
Bane was trying to do what he does. He got around a screen and had enough space to shoot a three. One they desperately needed.
It was that kind of night where nothing went in. And Onyeka Okongwu leaked out to the other basket. Bane was late to recognize it and could not catch up to intercept it. He had only one option -- to foul. And he grabbed Okongwu's arm and pulled him to the floor. As the ball bounced in the air, Bane spiked it toward Okongwu.
That started a pull-apart and an obvious flagrant penalty coming his way. Bane was ejected with a technical foul added on. The Hawks turned it into a 20-point lead, their largest of the night at the time, and the Magic's momentum was halted.
A lot of the good vibes that had carried the team through two blowout wins over bad teams disappeared quickly following another dud on national TV to end the road trip. Atlanta started off strong and rebounded with a 14-1 run to end the second half to waltz to a 127-112 victory at State Farm Arena.
Frustration had taken over. The Magic were scrambling to find anything positive to latch onto.
"Turnovers. The defensive effort wasn't there. We let the offense dictate our defense," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Tuesday's loss. "That's on me. I didn't do a great job getting these guys prepared for this game tonight, understanding how they were so handsy and so physical and knowing they were going to try to turn them over. I have to do a better job with this group to let them know that."
The Magic are back to square one, trying to find their defense and offensive rhythm once again after failing the test of playing against a team with a strong defense. Once again, the Magic faced a team that would put up some resistance and could not crack the code.
And the same problems arose.
Similar problems persist
Wendell Carter said after the loss to the Detroit Pistons last Wednesday, the Orlando Magic had to have a lot of hard conversations and look themselves in the mirror. It led to a more energetic and focused defensive effort in the wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards.
The Magic showed in those games that they are capable of locking down on defense and using that to power their pace and offense. They showed they could play with energy and move the ball effectively, controlling the tempo with their physicality.
That was not how the Magic played Tuesday. They turned the ball repeatedly, fouled endlessly and struggled to contain an energetic Hawks team looking to run. They were on their heels early in the game.
"There have been multiple breakdowns, I feel like," Tristan da Silva said after Tuesday's loss. "I feel like it also started with our offense taking care of the ball. That was one of the main focuses for us in the scouting report was taking away their transition points. . . . We have to make sure we keep our man in front, see man and ball and contain the action."
Atlanta finished with 23 fast-break points. Orlando finished with 19 turnovers, leading to 21 Atlanta points. That was just feeding the Hawks in transition and giving them easy shots. That helped the Hawks expand their lead and make the game an uphill climb.
They used that to force their way to the line. Not that the Magic did much even when the defense was set. Desmond Bane's two early fouls set the tone for a game that saw the Hawks parade to the line for 42 free throws.
With the Magic backtracking, the Hawks were able to attack constantly. It is hard to climb uphill in this league.
Especially with an offense that is still finding its footing and an offense still suscepitble to poor shooting nights.
Orlando entered the game a better 3-point shooting team than Atlanta by the numbers at least. But the Magic made just one of 10 3-pointers in the first quarter. They finished 11 for 34 from three (four coming in a largely academic fourth quarter).
The Magic simply were unable to turn the tide or stop momentum.
Frustration wins
That speaks to the biggest problem facing this team.
It is one thing to miss shots, as frustrating as that might be, but the Orlando Magic this year have continually let those misses and their disconnection on offense lead to problems on defense.
Last year, Orlando was a far worse offensive team than it is this year. And yet, the Magic have been unable to find that defensive gear. The team is letting its offense create its energy.
That is not what won them those games in Charlotte and Washington last week and that is not what has defined this team.
This part of the team's identity is the one that needs to change most if the Magic are going to realize their true potential. Instead, they let their offense dictate their energy and let their opponents dictate the game to them.
The Magic found something in the fourth quarter and even in the immediate aftermath of Bane's ejection. They cut the deficit down to 11 and made the Hawks sweat a bit in the fourth quarter. That was because the team could finally string together stops and force turnovers -- seven of the Hawks' 20 turnovers came in the final quarter.
That is a pyhrric victory. It is no solace. But it showed the Magic could put the pieces together at least somewhat even against a strong defensive team.
Orlando has the tools to be the team they can imagine. But the team is still struggling to put those pieces together. The Magic are struggling to let their defense lead. They are struggling to find their identity.
That is what needs to happen to end this frustration.
Orlando is repeating these mistakes and it is costing them. The team is still fighting to improve. And are frustratingly falling short.