The Orlando Magic had done all they needed to get that feel-good win they are so desperate for in January. The chance to turn things around and build off whatever positives they could glean from Friday night’s loss were all right there.
The Magic were strong offensively most of the game. They turned up their defense and scrounged their way back into the game in the fourth quarter. A 7-0 run gave the Magic the lead late. A steal on Marc Gasol got Tobias Harris a run out and a dunk for a four-point lead with 17 seconds left.
Things were all set up for a win. And some much-needed relief.
The fates do not like the Magic enough to give them that solace.
Jeff Green quickly dunked on a stunned Magic defense, forcing a timeout. Orlando failed to inbound the ball cleanly and Memphis had the chance to tie. The Magic still had a timeout in their pocket and a foul to give. Both would go unused before Jeff Green tied the game with a floater over Tobias Harris.
The Magic had been punched and were staggering. The overtime started and the sense the Magic had lost confidence. There was no way they were winning.
Orlando fell to Memphis 108-102 in overtime at FedExForum in Memphis on Monday, continuing the team’s long descent and struggles. Wins still feel far away, even though the team played well for the most part.
The Magic shot 46.5 percent from the floor and came out scoring like crazy in the first half. Orlando was rolling and making up for bad defense and turnovers simply by making shots. The Magic settled down some in the second half but fell behind after 19 turnovers in the game and had to push their way back in.
Orlando made plays down the stretch. It seemed desperate and determined to win.
Tobias Harris, Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier each scored 16 points for the Magic. The balance offensively was there. Orlando just missed shots at critical times in overtime. Again, the team was just a bit tight. The shock of losing the lead so suddenly and giving the game away was omnipresent.
Were the Magic sharp? No.
Turnovers were prevalent throughout the game. Orlando lost track of cutters throughout the game and gave Memphis every opportunity to pull away or keep it close as Orlando was chugging along offensively.
Still Orlando was good when it had to be. A sign the team is coming out of its malaise.
But these are moral victories. These are nuggets to hold onto in the hopes of gaining confidence.
The big problem remains. The Magic blew a lead and lost a game in a fashion that is befitting of their rebuild teams from the last three years. That was the frustration thing. It remains the frustration thing.
Orlando can be sharp one moment and terrible the next. The inconsistency has been maddening all year, and even worse this past month as the team has struggled.
This one will go down as another loss. As painful as all the others.
