PHILADELPHIA -- There are legends around the league about the detail that goes into the Playoffs.
A playoff series is a very specific thing. It is a two-week odyssey that allows for some trial and error to find the holes to exploit. It allows for focus on the details and every little nuance in an opponent.
More importantly, there is time to do so in the prep before a series begins and even between Games 1 and 2.
The Play-In Tournament requires that much detail, too. It is an elimination game and a game with stakes. Neither team wants to face the potential of facing elimination. They want that extra time to prepare for the 2-seed ahead of them.
But with the game occurring midweek and so suddenly, this intense game has the timing of a regular-season game. There is little time to dig deep into the details.
The Orlando Magic need a focused effort, but so much of this game is about performing and playing well. The balance between focusing on the Philadelphia 76ers and focusing on themselves will define whether the Orlando Magic are successful in earning the 7-seed.
"It's a playoff game," coach Jamahl Mosley said after practice Tuesday. "It's a one-game hit. Our ability to focus on exactly what they do and exactly what we do well. Having played them a couple of times is being able to hone in on what's worked for us, what we need to clean up, and go from there. That's the beauty of having film is seeing what we've done well and what we need to continue to work on."
The Orlando Magic are moving on from Sunday's disappointing loss to the Boston Celtics in the regular season finale. That loss moved the game from Orlando to Philadelphia.
That is also life in the NBA, moving on from tough losses. The defeat likely put some more focus back on the Magic and sticking to their principles.
But there is still a tough challenge ahead.
Learning the opponent
The Orlando Magic have not seen the Philadelphia 76ers since January. Both teams are dramatically different.
When the Magic faced the Sixers back then, they did not have Franz Wagner. Joel Embiid, who will not play in Wednesday's game after having surgery to remove his appendix, will not play after playing in two of the matchups, including the lone game in Orlando in January.
That January game was notable for the Magic's defensive effort -- 105.1 defensive rating -- but how poor the Magic's offense ended up being. Orlando lost that game 103-91 and scored only 12 points in the fourth quarter of a fairly close game.
But Noah Penda started that game. Paolo Banchero had 14 points on 6-for-18 shooting (along with 11 rebounds, seven assists and four turnovers).
The Magic have a 144-103 victory in the NBA Cup group play in November. That game was played without Joel Embiid and Paul George. Anthony Black scored 20 points in the second quarter as the Magic blew that game open.
The only time the two teams played at full strength was the October matchup, where the Magic's defense could not get stops in what was the third-worst defensive showing of the season in a 136-124 Philadelphia victory. Banchero had 32 points on 10-for-18 shooting in one of his strongest games early in the season.
All three of these games were a long time ago. This game will be vastly different.
"Every game is different," Black said after practice Tuesday. "It's not the same as the season where we are playing different teams over and over. Our preparation goes a lot into knowing personnel, tendencies, and things that the other teams like to do. It's always about our principles starting with our defense. I think that will travel no matter who we play or what round we go to. I definitely think the principles are important that we stick by and also we have to be super locked into personnel each game."
Orlando finished with two very strong defensive efforts against Philadelphia -- a 112.5 defensive rating in the three games.
The Magic are certainly capable. But so much of this will start with how they play before dealing with their opponent.
Focused on themselves
Even considering Sunday's loss to the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic found a bit of a groove and looked more like themselves as they won the five games prior to the loss in the regular season finale.
They have especially recovered their defensive identity.
The Magic enter Wednesday's game with a 116.4 defensive rating in their last 15 games and 112.1 defensive rating in their last 10 games. Even in Sunday's loss to the Celtics, they gave up only 107.6 points per 100 possessions.
If Orlando is going to win, it comes back to their defense and how they bottle up Tyrese Maxey and slow down Paul George. It all starts with the Magic and their principles.
"That's kind of the balance that is important in games like these and a team in general," Tristan da Silva said after practice Tuesday. "Obviously, we're focused on who we're playing and what we've got to do to stop them. But we also have to understand what works for us and what we've got to do to come out on top. It's a mix of both."
That is the kind of balance this game demands. The Magic know how they need to prepare for a postseason game, having been through it the last two years.
Ultimately, that is what the Playoffs and postseason are about. They are about a team that executes their strengths at a high level against defenses loaded against them.
Sunday's loss could be dispiriting for this team, even with their experience. To succeed, the Magic will need trust their preparation and each other.
"There is a level of confidence in each one of these guys knowing how we need to prepare, what we need to do, how tied together we need to be," coach Jamahl Mosley said after practice Tuesday. "That's the growth of this group. That is also the experience that we've had in the postseason before."
The Magic have not won a road postseason game in their past two postseason excursions. That will be a big part of the challenge and what the Magic lost in Sunday's game.
But Orlando is capable still of bouncing back. It will take a hard-nosed effort set to the Magic's principles and a focus on stopping the Sixers as much as they can.
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