Paolo Banchero was in his second game back from a two-month absence with an oblique injury. He had his breakthrough against the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring 34 points in his return game.
But the Bucks eked out the win. They were able to make shots and free throws down the stretch, not for a lack of trying from Banchero, who had 15 of the Magic's 25 points in the final quarter.
The second game seemed to end the dream. Banchero finished with 20 points and had six turnovers. He was just 5 for 8 from the floor as he seemed to deal with some fatigue and the emotion of his debut game had worn off.
Banchero was just beignning a difficult month where he was fighting to get himself back into playing shape.
But the end of the game gave a preview of why Banchero is the player the Magic believe in.
Banchero hit the go-ahead free throws with 90 seconds to play. But his biggest moment came when he set a pick-and-roll screen for Cole Anthony, received a pocket pass and calmly drained a mid-range jumper over Guerschon Yabusele to give the Magic a three-point lead.
"It's just exciting to be out there late in the game when the game is in the balance," Banchero said after the January win over the 76ers. "That's when I want to make an impact. It wasn't just me obviously. . . . I made that shot at the end, but it was a lot of other plays that got us over the hump."
Banchero is right to credit teammates. But ultimately, the Magic have invested in him and his skills because he can shoulder the load with the game on the line. That is a different kind of responsibility.
Banchero is not alone as a late-game option. Franz Wagner hit his share of game-winning baskets. He had the iconic step-back three to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in November. He also hit two critical baskets in the final two minutes of the Orlando Magic's Game 3 win over the Boston Celtics.
Most teams usually can settle on one player to be their closer. The Magic have two.
Even when one player is having a poor game, they have someone else they can turn to. And even with the team's poor spacing, Banchero and Wagner can beat tough defense.
That is why the Magic are a potential contender. Everyone recognizes they have two All-Stars. And their showing late in games is proof of their potential and this team's potential to win those key games.
Banchero and Wagner shine late
So much of last season was about basking in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner's brilliance and trying to find a way to bring the rest of the team with them. At least offensively.
That was the case in clutch situations, which NBA.com defines as any game within five points in the last five minutes.
Both had their share of big shots. Whether it was Wagner in Los Angeles or Banchero draining the game-winning shot to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in a one-point win in February. They were both capable of hitting shots late.
The Magic trust they can put the ball in either players' hands and get a good shot.
Last year, Banchero led the team with 3.2 points per game in clutch situations. He shot 46.8 percent from the floor. Despite missing so much time, he led the team with 68 total points in 20 clutch games last year.
Wagner was not too far behind. He had 51 total points in 24 clutch games (2.1 points per game). Wagner struggled with his shot in late-game situations, shooting only 35.7 percent from the floor.
Both Banchero and Wagner struggled from deep, making only 9 of 33 3-pointers combined between the two players.
The stories of Banchero and Wagner making big shots is clear and evident. They are capable finishers. But it is clear they need help just like they need help everywhere else.
The rest of the team still struggles
The Orlando Magic's clutch record last season was reflective of their record overall.
They finished 18-17 in clutch situations last year. That is what you would expect. They neither gained nor lost from close games. Their ability to win close games thanks to heroics from Cole Anthony in December was critical to keeping their season afloat.
The stats overall mirror their stats during the rest of the season.
Orlando scored only 103.2 points per 100 possessions in clutch situations. But the team gave up only 98.4 points per 100 possessions. Clutch situations seemed like it heightened the Magic's strengths and weaknesses.
If it always felt like the Magic were in good shape holding onto a lead late in games, but struggled to make up ground, these stats suggest that is the case. To further that point, Orlando shot only a 46.1 percent effective field goal percentage (27th in the league) and a league-worst 23.3 percent from three in clutch situations.
Orlando won its share of close games in 2024, going 21-14 (the seventh-best win percentage in clutch situations). That was a big reason why the Magic broke through for 47 wins.
These things tend to progress and regress to the mean. But winning close games is what differentiates teams that are close in the standings. It could be the difference between finishing third and sixth in the end.
It is why improving the team's scoring and shooting around Banchero and Wagner could make them even more effective.
Both Banchero and Wagner have proven themselves capable of making big shots. They are kinds of players who can hit tough shots when the defense is loaded against them. What they hope is that they have given the team enough help now to make their jobs easier and make them bigger threats late in games.