Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic know they are struggling to find their energy. They are feeling the pressure of all the losses and the frustration of the mounting defeats and pressure of a playoff race and the trade deadline ahead Thursday afternoon.
The Magic needed something to get their mojo back. Banchero surmised in shootaround media availabilities before Monday's loss to the Golden State Warriors and Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings that one win could tip things over and give them some confidence.
They just had to make it happen. No one else was going to do it for them.
To get there, it had to start with the two stars. Banchero understood that as much as anyone with how he has struggled. He too is searching for answers for himself. He admitted after Wednesday's game that while he does not feel his injury anymore, he is working his way back to the elite shape. That work will continue after the All-Star Break.
This team will go as he and Franz Wagner go. They had to set the tone. They had to be different regardless of their limitations.
They had to get back to the formula that defined Magic basketball—their hounding defense forcing turnovers, an unrelenting offense that put pressure on the rim behind its two star players and an undying effort.
All of that has been missing for various parts of the last month of the season. The Magic needed to feel like themelves again.
Making shots helps too as the Magic buried the Kings with a 130-111 victory, leading by as much as 30 points behind a 42-point third quarter. Everything came together even the shooting. The team had the energy it needed to win at long last.
And Orlando turned that energy into Magic basketball for the first time in a long time.
Orlando needed this game to get itself right and feel like itself again. And it started with the tone and pace their stars set. They did not settle for anything less, executing at a high level to deliver this much-needed win.
Back to formula
Paolo Banchero, most of all, needed to get back to his formula.
He had to set the tone with his aggression and his unwillingness to settle. Sure, he hit a turnaround fadeaway jumper on his first shot attempt, but everything else for the rest of the first quarter saw him attack the rim, going five for six in the restricted area.
The rest of the team took that cue.
The team would not sit back and let another weak defense dictate terms to them or outwork them. The team would not blink when they got hit with a run. The team was not going to repeat those mistakes.
With Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner giving them energy and confidence, the team did something it has not done in a long time: They made shots. That loosened everything.
It started with the aggressive play from their two stars.
"I just tried to play aggressive and get downhill and just play my game," Wagner said after Wednesday's win. "It obviously helps to make some shots."
As the third quarter began with the Magic up two, they were confident and aggressive still. They were not going to let a repeat of so many games happen where they lost the game in the third quarter.
Banchero and Wagner each had 15 points at the half. But they took control over the game in the third quarter.
Banchero had only two points in the third quarter, but he garnered so much attention and understood what to do with it. He had four of his nine assists in the third quarter. All those attacks to the basket early, resulting in 36 points in the paint at halftime, sucked the Kings into the paint.
That is when he struck and the Magic finally hit from the outside.
"I think just focusing on making the right play," Banchero said after Wednesday's game. "That was my biggest thing coming into tonight was focusing on making whatever the right play was for the team."
Franz Wagner picked up the scoring slack with 16 of his 31 points in the third quarter. He made four of five 3-pointers in the third quarter and the Magic made 8 of 12 in the quarter to zoom past the Kings and take a 22-point lead. Orlando made 16 of 31 3-pointers (51.6 percent), one of their best shooting games this season.
After struggling with the Kings' pace throughout the first half, the defense was able to settle in and slow down their offense. Being able to get set after made baskets helps a ton as does getting out in transition.
Orlando finally had the balance it has sought so much from a team that attacks inside-out and has its defense as its anchor.
As Banchero hit a a stepback jumper over Zach LaVine for his 23rd and final point of the evening, he was smiling ear to ear. The confidence and swagger was back.
"When your two best players show up like your two best players, you give yourself a chance every single night," Mosley said after Wednesday's win. "You could see the level of confidence rising. To me and to us as a group, that was the most important piece. They do hang their hat on the swag of those guys and our ability to have that is very important."
Needed relief
Paolo Banchero was not the only one smiling. The team fed off that energy and aggression to get others going.
Anthony Black, playing off the bench with Cole Anthony joining the starters, recovered from going without a field goal attempt in Monday's game to score 15 points on 4-for-10 shooting. He had the ball in his hands a lot more and that racheted up his intensity and pace.
Wendell Carter hit two three-pointers on his way to eight points, letting off a big grin as he hit his second three of the game in the fourth quarter. The Magic shot 16 for 31 from three for the game, a devastatingly and surprisingly efficient night as they picked apart the Kings' zone defense throughout the third quarter.
Goga Bitadze was active on the glass with 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting. He added seven rebounds and did his best to keep Domantas Sabonis in check with his physicality. Anthony added 14 points for good measure.
Everyone slotted into their roles and played with the precision and energy this team needs so desperately. Making confidence and allowing that to build confidence in belief helps too.
It has been a long time. Relief was needed.
"After the past couple of games of us trying to find our way on both sides of the basketball, I thought it was a very gritty and spirited effort," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Wednesday's win. "We talked about this over the past couple of days finding the right spirit and right energy with the group, being able to play as a collective the right way. We controlled the controllables a lot through this game. I thought it was a gritty, spirited effort."
Of course, relief is fleeting in the NBA. A few hours after they put the finishing touches on this game, they took off for Denver to face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. They will face the trade deadline on Thursday afternoon too.
But they needed a get-right game in the worst way. They needed a game to get back to their formula.
One thing is not changing before Thursday, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will still be leading the way. And playing like this will help the team get back on track.