For several weeks now, the Orlando Magic have had one mantra as they fight for their spot in the Playoffs.
Everything is one game at a time.
As cliche as it is, the Magic stopped focusing on the big picture and the expectations they may or may not be hitting. That narrow focus has helped them slowly build themselves back up, climbing out of the Play-In and into control over the 5-seed.
Orlando's now six-game win streak is the team's longest this season and has put the team its highest mark above .500 for this year. There is some sigh of relief to avoiding the Play-In Tournament now.
But there is still so much work to do. And the stakes only get higher -- particularly in the next two games against division rivals and direct standings competitors in the equally scorching Miami Heat (seven straight wins) and Atlanta Hawks (eight straight wins).
As the Playoffs inch ever closer, the pressure and stakes will only rise. The approach to these games remains the same.
"The one thing that we do say is it is just one game," coach Jamahl Mosley said after shootaround Saturday. "One game at a time. You take care of your business in the one game. But there is a reality to it. The divisional battle down the road and the playoff race in the standings. Those are all realities. You put it on the table and understand what this game means. We need to do what we need to do throughout the 48 minutes of this game tonight with the right mindset."
That approach has served the Magic well.
Orlando has won its past six and 12 of the past 16. In the process, the Magic have recovered their defense, ranking second in the league with a 108.1 defensive rating in the last 15 games. And they have found some spark on offense, ranking 10th with a 116.8 offensive rating in the last 15 games.
The Magic are playing like the team they imagined. Their approach is working.
Not just one game
Saturday's game against the Miami Heat is not just one game. Just like Monday's game at the Atlanta Hawks, or even Thursday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, do not feel like "just one game."
They are critical battles in the ever-tightening Eastern Conference playoff race. And the team has a critical March 29 date with the Toronto Raptors on the horizon. Those are all big games that could go a long way to determining who wins the 5-seed and where teams settle in the postseason.
Entering Saturday's games, the Magic are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They are technically tied with the Heat -- the Heat have one more win and one more loss, giving the Magic two games in hand to make up. The two teams are a half-game ahead of the Raptors in seventh.
There is some distance, but the Magic lead the streaking Hawks by 2.5 games in eighth. The Philadelphia 76ers are now 2.5 games back in ninth and the Charlotte Hornets are four games behind the Orlando Magic.
It is indeed a tight competition everyone expects to go to the season's last game.
"There are a lot of teams competing for it," Jamahl Mosley said after shootaround on Saturday. "It's going to come down to the wire with it. That's why I think it is so important we stay in the moment and taking it one game at a time. You can't control those games until you get to them. You can't control what other teams do. You just have to focus on our process and our work and make sure we have the right mindset going into each and every game."
There is still a lot in the Magic's control with games against so many of the team's direct competitors, beginning with this weekend's slate of games at Miami and Atlanta.
Orlando has lost the season series with Philadelphia, is tied in the season with Toronto and trails the season series with both Atlanta and Charlotte.
That makes those direct games between the two teams all the more vital.
Saturday's game against the Heat is critical to stay ahead of them in the standings. But the Magic have already won the season series and a loss would merely tie them in the loss column. Orlando would still have control.
"It's exciting. Apart from the playoff race, it's the Miami Heat, one of the best teams in the league," Wendell Carter said after shootaround Saturday. "Especially late in seasons, they find a way to turn it on. They have been playing some really good basketball of late. We have too. This is what we live for all our lives just to play in settings like this, against teams like this and against players like this that we'll be playing tonight. I'm excited. We're just ready to get it going."
There is still a long way to go.
Tough road ahead
The fact the Orlando Magic have played thefewest games in the league means they have more ground to make up on the schedule. It is leading to a cramped and difficult schedule.
The Magic head into Miami for Saturday's game playing their third game in four nights. They are in a stretch of five games in eight days that ends with a back-to-back at home on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Orlando knew its March was going to be difficult, featuring four back-to-backs, including a nasty home-road back-to-back that ends in Cleveland against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to Tankathon, the Magic have the 13th-toughest remaining schedule by opponent win percentage. The travel and number of games will certainly tell a different story.
This is what a Playoff chase is supposed to be.
"I looked at this month back in December and probably knew it was going to be a tough one for us," Wendell Carter said after shootaround Saturday. "That's what we get paid to do. It's the NBA, it's not supposed to be easy. We understand what the road looks like ahead for us. Every game is giving us a Playoff experience."
The Miami Heat start a particularly difficult stretch of games with Saturday's game against the Orlando Magic. They have the 10th-hardest remaining schedule. The Toronto Raptors have the 17th-hardest schedule remaining.
This is a battle that is going to go until the very end. One game can influence a lot at this point in the season. But it is still about winning and facing each game individually.
A win makes the path that much easier.