What an emotional roller coaster that was. Magic vs Hawks
Driving to Amway center, I had on some of my favorite music (The Used, if you're curious), to get me focused for the game. This was my first time covering an Orlando Magic game as a credentialed media member. My partner Jonathan, our friend Andy, from the Orlando Magic Podcast, and I were all set to cover the game and leave with lots of laughter, smiles and good content.
To give you an idea of what it’s like, you enter our beloved Amway Center through a small entrance that leads to a break room and connected media work room. It’s quiet. People are chatting in small groups, eating a pregame meal, or prepping for the event. Shortly after we entered, at 5:15pm we had our pregame interview with Cliff. It was positive. He knew things would be different without Aaron Gordon but was prepared to start with Wes Iwundu and also give a bit of run on the second unit with Melvin Frazier Jr., and Amile Jefferson. The media members were buzzing with excitement thinking this should be a fairly easy win, especially with Atlanta coming into the night having lost the past 10 games, and 2 of their star players -Trea Young and Jabari Parker. The Hawks had the league's worst record at 6-27.
The game was about to begin, and we headed to the box. Some jokes were had (go see our pregame videos 😂), as we got settled in our seats. Phones were out ready for tweets and note-taking. Andy, Jonathan, and I were excited to say the least. The first quarter was rough- bad ball movement, odd rotations with the second unit, and missed shots. The Magic scored 21 points to the Hawks 25. Cliff, in fact, gave Jefferson and Frazier Jr. run with the second unit like he spoke about. The rhythm was not in place though, especially with Melvin, he got subbed out with only 4 minutes of playing time.
The second quarter, however, was different. Buckets were made, shots were blocked, and defense was back! The Magic had a nice lead while scoring 33 points and holding the Hawks to only 22 points in the quarter. Still, the guys and I had questions. Why was Jonathan Isaac 1-5 from the Free Throw line? Why was Markelle Fultz missing all of his shots? I don’t think Terrence Ross hit a shot at that point either, but the Magic still had a comfortable lead that we thought could not be lost. Well, shit. We were wrong… very wrong...
The Magic sucked in the third. The defense was poor. They got out-played by a guy I had never even heard of. Brandon Goodwin. (I legit just had to look up his name again, that’s how little I had heard of him). He ended his night with 21 points going 3-4 from 3. They kept going under screens on him and Goodwin made them pay. Vooch was getting pushed around and was clearly frustrated by Magic killer, Alex Lin, who also had 18 points and 12 rebounds. Ross and Fultz still could not hit a shot, and the defense could not stop the Hawks from going on an 18-point run. The Magic at one point were as low as 12 points behind. The fourth quarter came around, and things improved, but not enough. They would get a few shots in to cut the lead but could never get close enough or stop the Hawks to control the lead again. The game ended with the Magic losing, 93-101, to the worst team in the league.
Well it’s time for press conferences. Clifford actually took some questions, when I, like many were fully expecting a walk-off statement. Here are some quotes.
Cliffords Opening Statement: "So I would say without watching the film, the last, I don't know what it was, two and half to three minutes of the first half, we're up 17. Brandon Goodwin goes on that run, which was critical. So instead of playing with a good cushion after the first half, it was closer. And then in the second half, they picked up their defense and we couldn't score. So that was basically the game."
On the team's attention to detail and blown sets: "They were blown. And we're also slow to get into them tonight. We're like any team - the quicker you get into your set, the quicker you get the defense on the move. With only 24 seconds, that is critical. And we certainly didn't do that tonight."
The locker room was quiet. Players were pissed. You could see the disappointment in everyone’s faces. I have never seen Isaac so down in an interview setting. The emotions they gave off made me realize just how human NBA players really are. I always knew it, but they are so much more than numbers in a box score. You can go back and hear some interviews if you want, but just know that this team is not taking this lightly and knows they have to make some changes in the court. They have to execute better and find ways to make the game more consistent for the squad. Whether you like these players or not, please know that they all definitely care about this team, wanting to win and continue to improve- that much was very clear in everyone's message.
After the interviews, I thanked some Magic media personnel, and a few of us went to discuss random trade ideas and our closing thoughts on the team. It was a struggle this evening, but I am so thankful for the opportunity and love this team even more.
It’s very hard to work for today and plan for the future of a basketball team. No decision is easy and it takes two teams to tango for mid-season changes. So what do we do after a loss like this? You can hope for a trade of player personnel. You can wish for a new head coach, or you can be patient and see how things play out this summer. You pick how you want to feel, but I will say this: Doing something desperate is never the right answer. Whether it’s an in-season trade or rotation change, it needs to be calculated and not rushed.
Anyway, tonight was fun. I met some amazing people. Guys like Phillip from Orlando Magic Daily and Josh Robbins from The Athletic are so tuned in and work really hard. Whether you like their take or not, respect the craft because it’s not easy doing this game-in and game-out.
