The Orlando Magic led by 22 points in the first half. Everything seemed easy with the defense stonewalling the Atlanta Hawks' pace and frustrating Trae Young.
As has so often been the case, the Magic hit one of those deep offensive lulls in the third quarter. The lead shrank to just three points. The Magic were on life support, looking for offense. Their stars—Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner—could not find a way through.
The Hawks rightfully dared someone else to beat them. They dared one of the Magic's struggling shooters to decide this game while they found their pockets amid all the frustration.
When the Magic were at their best this season, they leaned on a set of cliches to get them through. They would play "by committee," leaning on each other. They believed every player was capable of contributing and helping them pull through for wins.
They said repeatedly "they were enough," even through all the injuries they faced. They persevered through their adversity. Getting to .500 was seemingly a miracle in that respect.
Punching their ticket to the playoffs required all of those cliches. It required everyone stepping in and required the Magic to believe they could overcome their doubts, their shortcomings and everything else.
This is the Play-In Tournament. Nobody cares how a team wins, only that it gets the job done and gets to the playoffs.
They have been here before, though. They have overcome those doubts and that uncertainty. They have worked together. And with a 41-point fourth quarter, the Magic punched their ticket with a 120-95 victory over the Hawks.
This was truly the by committee, belief-filled game that defined the Magic at their best.
"It says a lot about the group," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Tuesday's game. "It says a lot bout the coaches. It says a lot about these players that there's a level of toughness and resiliency to them. I've said it time and time again: This group is enough. No matter who's on the floor. They've proven that they're enough at any given time, no matter the circumstances."
Orlando has faced its share of adversity throughout the season. The injuries completely derailed the season and put the team on its heels. It has been a season where the Magic have been playing from behind.
Saved from the brink
The Orlando Magic were truly on the ropes as the Hawks climbed back into the game. But they pushed the lead out to nine to end the third quarter thanks to a floater from Cole Anthony, a tip-dunk from Jonathan Isaac, and a layup from Franz Wagner.
That was only the beginning for the Magic's bench as they powered past the Hawks in the fourth quarter.
Anthony scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, hitting three 3-pointers and dishing out four assists. He hunted his shots and found his rhythm, carrying the Magic to the finish line.
He got help from Anthony Black, who scored seven of his 16 points in the quarter, hitting two three-pointers. In one key sequence, he blocked a Trae Young layup that led directly to a Cole Anthony three and a 21-point lead.
In all, Orlando went on a 27-8 avalanche run as the team's defense frustrated and harassed Atlanta. Trae Young, frustrated in not getting a foul call on that block, picked up two technical fouls and was ejected from the game.
The Magic were under the Hawks' skin, frustrating them and keeping them from getting any shot that seemed comfortable after they halted that third-quarter run. They found their groove again.
"We've been there before," Jamahl Mosley said after Tuesday's win. "We've been in these situations in close games at home. Our ability to get the stops and get the runs at the right time was very big for us. But you saw the group come together on the court when they went on the run. Our ability to not let that rattle us and then dig in on the defensive end and get out and get some easy baskets."
The fact the Magic did this with their two stars struggling to break through says a lot too.
Paolo Banchero faced a wall of defenders throughout the night and had to look to move the ball more without a way to get inside. Banchero shot just 4 of 13 from the floor. But he added nine rebounds and seven assists.
Franz Wagner scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. He shot 6 of 15 for the game and was hesitant to shoot at times, missing all five of his 3-pointers.
Both Banchero and Wagner found other ways to impose their will on the game. The Magic were not going to win without that by-committee approach. They were not going to win without everybody on the roster.
And that is just fine by them to get the job done.
"It is really an environment where the person next to you wants to see you eat as much as you want to eat," Anthony said after Tuesday's win. "When you have so many selfless dudes like that on one roster, it makes the game really fun because they want to see you succeed as much as you do. It's an awesome thing to be a part of."
Up-and-down seasons
That is not something the Orlando Magic have been able to rely on wholly.
Anthony Black has had an up-and-down sophomore season, going from a budding sharpshooter and defender to someone the Magic have to coax into aggression.
Cole Anthony went from playing so poorly that he was out of the rotation to regaining his spot. Wendell Carter has struggled with his shot, but has had the healthiest season of his career and found his defensive rhythm.
They are all flawed players on a team that has major flaws it needs to correct. They all stepped up with the pressure ramped up in this game and have all finished their seasons strongly.
The Magic have always had a belief in themselves. They have always felt they knew what they were capable of doing when they were at their best and when they played together.
The Magic were not perfect in Tuesday's win. It was not merely losing the 22-point lead, it was also shooting 11 for 39 from three. There were a lot of elements that would have surely led to a loss on most nights.
The team was at its best because they moved the ball and had 29 assists on 44 field goals. It was because the team's defense silenced Atlanta's high-powered offense to 38.1 percent shooting and 4-for-21 shooting from three.
The Magic remained true to themselves and their identity—their defense and their togetherness. That is what helped them survive that early adversity this season.
"Everybody trusts these guys to make play," Paolo Banchero said after Tuesday's game. "When they are open, they are going to knock down those shots or create a problem. The more confidence they get, the more we're rolling. I think you saw that those guys get easy looks early and it translates to them making more plays throughout the game."
That is what helped them break into the playoffs and win their Play-In Game. That is what can help the Orlando Magic make the most of their series with the Boston Celtics as they gear up for the playoffs.
They will need that spirit of togetherness to overcome this adversity again. It is a big challenge ahead. But the Magic have put themselves in position to face it again.