The storm that enveloped Downtown Orlando on Saturday afternoon seemed to express the mood of most Orlando Magic fans on Saturday.
The Magic were up 22 with 24 minutes separating them from their first playoff series win in 16 years. They were up nine entering the final quarter.
What happened in that second half was still stunning to watch. Even neutral observers could not describe how an NBA team could score just 19 points in a half of basketball, make just four of 37 shots and one field goal in the entire fourth quarter.
In the immediate aftermath of Friday's 93-79 loss, there was a clear feeling of shell shock. Everyone was trying to figure out what had just happened.
But one thing the team had earned with three victories was the cushion of one more game. Orlando will have to go on the road, but they have one more chance to punch their ticket to the next round.
"You've got to wash it," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Game 6. "You've got to learn from it and got to go get Game 7. You've got to do it the hard way. We've been in Game 7 before. We understand what this looks like on the road, the magnitude of it, and what we know we're capable of doing in this situation. You obviously got up big, so you know what you are capable of doing. But you've got to learn from it and wash it and go figure out a way to do it the hard way in Detroit."
The question is how do you move on? How do you move past a historically bad offensive half? How do you move past losing a 24-point lead at home with a raucous crowd ready to celebrate and party with you?
Playoff series are all about how teams respond to adversity. Do they stand up to the challenge, or do they fold? The Detroit Pistons looked like they would fold, and then they found their life with their backs against the wall.
The Magic have found success with their backs against the wall before, too. But this will be a much bigger challenge.
They have to overcome a decidedly more gloomy mood.
The Magic have fought before
What was most frustrating about the finish to Game 6 was that it was not entirely surprising.
The Orlando Magic had gone through plenty of offensive droughts and massive embarrassing runs throughout this season. The 31-0 run the Toronto Raptors put on the Orlando Magic was the most immediate comparison to the game on Friday.
The Orlando Magic responded to that frustrating game with a win over the Phoenix Suns at home. They responded to a 29-point home loss to the Atlanta Hawks that followed that with a five-game win streak to the end of the season.
One thing that has characterized this team is a response to these frustrating and backbreaking efforts. That was at least one silver lining.
"This team always shows fight," Jamahl Mosley said after Game 6. "There is no other way to put it. This does suck. You had a 24-point lead and we let it go. I think the reality is that it's got to sting and it's got to hurt right now. But we've got to be able to bounce back and giv eyourself and opportunity to go get it done in Game 7."
The 89.8 offensive rating in Friday's game was not even the worst of the series -- Game 2 takes that cake. And the Magic responded to the Game 2 defeat with their best offensive showing of the series in Game 3.
The 52-point loss to the Raptors was the worst offensive showing in the season. Orlando followed that game with a 106.5 offensive rating in the win over Phoenix. The Magic followed a 91.1 offensive rating in the March loss to the Pistons, which featured a similarly depressing second-half offensive effort, with a 126.0 offensive rating against the Washington Wizards.
In the game following the Magic's five worst offensive games of the regular season, the team went 4-1 with a 122.8 average offensive rating. Of course, those opponents were the Philadelphia 76ers early in the season, Phoenix Suns in March, and the New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards.
But this is the Playoffs. The Pistons are reasserting themselves on defense. This is a completely different game that needs a completely different response.
"I think when you wake up tomorrow, it's a new day," Desmond Bane said after Game 6. "Come in, watch the film, see what you can do better, and we've got another chance to go do it. It's not over with. We've got another game in this series. We'll go and attack it."
All the Magic can do is pick themselves back up.
Game 7 is still an opportunity
There is as big a mental hurdle to overcome as anything else. The Orlando Magic must respond to such a poor offensive showing and the reality that they missed shots and then started missing open shots.
Ultimately, Game 6 is done. Game 7 is a new day and a new game. It will have its own challenges.
And at the end, the winner of that game is the one who advances. Orlando still has that chance, even with the odds stacked against it.
"You don't have time to hang your head about this," Paolo Banchero said after Game 6. "Obviously, it's a bad loss. You have to chalk it up, but there's nothing we can do about it at this point.
"The series ain't over. They've clawed their way to tie it up 3-3. We won a game there to start the series. We've got to do it again. Can't hang our heads. Have to go to sleep, wake up, go on the plane with a clear mind and do whatever we've got to do to get the win."
The fact that the Magic have won in Detroit before and competed in Game 5 is some form of confidence. The team has done it before.
Anthony Black said the team still has a lot of belief because of those games. They built a 24-point lead and showed they could do the right things to break this Pistons defense down.
It is just about doing it one more time.
"Having won a game there, being in a tough game there in Game 5, just gives us belief," Anthony Black said in the locker room after Game 6. "But we already have that. We know what we have top to bottom. We're confident. We know we just have to clean up a couple of things and come out with the same intensity."
Everyone will know what the Magic are capable of. This game is whether this team has put its Game 6 disappointment behind them.
All that matters now is Game 7. There is still that chance to advance.
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