MIAMI -- It has been a long journey for the Orlando Magic to get to this point of introspection and celebration.
The team has dealt with its share of injuries, but it has also had a bit of an identity crisis this season. The defense that it was built on was not consistent. The effort that defined them had become inconsistent.
The Magic were still scratching out wins, but it needed a reset. A chance to rediscover who it was and put all the pieces together.
Orlando always knew who it was supposed to be -- a hard-working, defensive-minded outfit that was resilient and unrelenting. The team just did not always display that.
Saturday's 121-117 win over the Miami Heat completed a lot of things then.
It finished a 5-0 sweep of the team's in-state rival, the first season sweep since 2008 for the Magic. It showed the Magic could be a blitzing and hounding team as they build a 22-point lead and 15-point lead through the first three quarters.
It showed that while the Magic still have their flaws, they can still be resilient enough to hold onto win. Making just the right amoung ot plays to win.
Orlando is in this position on a seven-game win streak and holding onto the 5-seed in the Eastern Conference because the team has finally embraced and discovered its identity. The team has found its way at last.
"We're definitely a resilient group," Paolo Banchero said after Saturday's win. "Through injuries and all the stuff earlier in the season, we've been able to find a good rhythm at the right time. We want to keep it going. We're playing good basketball right now. We're trusting each other out there, communicating well. This is the time you have to play. You have to keep doing it."
And they still might have another gear to reach.
After such an up-and-down season filled with loads of frustration, the Magic have found their identity and their groove. They have embraced who they are and who they can be.
The formula for victory
The Orlando Magic entered the season with loads of expectations. The team has seemingly struggled to meet those expectations completely.
They were struggling to find their identity most of all. Their defense was sloppy and the things that defined them were not in full force. It was hard to say who this Magic team was.
The team has slowly started to get all of that back. During this seven-game win streak, Orlando is posting a 108.8 defensive rating, getting after teams and stifling their offense. They are back to the aggressive and physical brand that defined their success for the past three years.
The biggest change, according to coach Jamahl Mosley, is that they stopped focusing on the big picture and only on the game in front of them. They are determined to make the most of what they can control.
"Honestly, it takes focusing on one game at a time," Mosley said after Saturday's game. "You don't focus on streaks. You focus on the thing in front of you. That's how you get the job done. You are taking care of the things that you need to and the one game at a time, and that's all that matters. You don't look back, you don't look forward."
That was on display in their win over the Miami Heat. Orlando blitzed Miami to lead 41-27 after one quarter. The Magic led by as much as 22 and by 15 through three quarters.
The Magic finished with a solid 111.4 defensive rating to stifle the Heat and end their extended win streak.
Even as the Heat rallied to close the deficit to as little as two, the Magic showed the resilience they have often lacked this season. They made key free throws down the stretch, including the two that iced the game from Paolo Banchero, a calming force throughout the game on his way to 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
They hung on to win, most of all. Even in their imperfections, they are finding a way and stacking wins to climb the standings.
The gear left to find
As well as the Orlando Magic have played in this stretch, it is also clear there is still another gear for this team to reach. There are still a lot of mistakes to clean up.
Orlando ran roughshod over Miami in the first half only for the offense to stall out in the second half. The Magic went from a juggernaut to a team trying to figure out how to break the Heat's zone and struggling with turnovers.
Orlando had 12 of the team's 20 turnovers in the second half and eight in the fourth quarter alone. All of that helped Miami stay alive and power its offense to get out in transition and avoid facing Orlando's vaunted defense.
The Magic made their own set of miscues down the stretch. For the second straight game, they could not hold a 15-point lead entering the final quarter. It put the game at risk.
The Magic have faced these frustrations before. They have been in these situations before. It has always been about the response. And Orlando is responding the right way.
That is why the team is winning and that is the identity the team has embraced.
As well as Orlando has played, there is another gear to hit if the team wants to accomplish something in the Playoffs.
Regardless of how the Magic have gotten here. They have gotten here. They have gotten back to the team they likely felt they were supposed to be.
"There have been a lot of ups and downs through the season," Wendell Carter said in the locker room after Saturday's win. "Knowing the kind of work we put in, individually, and the work we put in as a collective. It's all starting to come together at the right time. You definitely want to peak at the right time. Guys are all clicking. I think there is still another level we can tap into. But this is a good feeling to be at with seven in a row."
It has been imperfect. There are still flaws to cover for and improve. But the Magic have fought through it all. They have been resilient in the face of it all.
And now they are showing the league who they truly are.