National Basketball Association

Orlando Magic build their identity in defeating Sacramento Kings

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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At long last, the Orlando Magic revealed their identity some more. Their home win over the Sacramento Kings is the closest we have seen to their potential.

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There were the eye-popping highlight plays — Bismack Biyombo soaring with two hands to swat a shot or the fast break that would ensue to set up an Evan Fournier 3-pointer. There were the moments of fast-break brilliance too — Elfrid Payton flying wildly through the lane and flipping a shot up and over the defense.

Most importantly, there were the moments of resilience. An early barrage from Rudy Gay withstood by Aaron Gordon to turn in a strong defensive performance — Gay finished with 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting after making his first five shots in the game.

The real moment that told the story of the Orlando Magic’s 102-94 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Amway Center on Thursday though came in the fourth quarter.

It was in the moment the Kings brought the lead down to two points, trying to bully the Magic with Cousins down low and muck the game up with fouls. The Magic’s own offense was heading back into the weeds as it had so often done in the first four games this season.

The Magic just needed to find a way to survive. To knock the Kings off kilter enough to pull away, as they had done ever since Bismack Biyombo and Jeff Green and D.J. Augustin helped take the game with their energy through the second quarter.

It was here where the Magic went to their most reliable players. They dumped the ball into Nikola Vucevic, who uncorked a fadeaway jumper that made everyone forget he was shooting just 4 for 11 following that shot. They turned back to the fast break and Evan Fournier in the pick and roll.

And then they turned to their defense. Nikola Vucevic finally got his turn on DeMarcus Cousins and the late double team from Serge Ibaka forced him into tough shots. Aaron Gordon helped dig out the rebound. Or Gordon would get into Gay, knocking him off long enough for Serge Ibaka to clean up for Gordon himself to challenge.

This was not the team the Magic were last year. They have closed two straight games. They had an opportunity to lose the lead at home, as they had done so many times before in the last four seasons. The Magic did not. They got tough-minded and ugly, winning a second game in a row while scoring fewer than 20 points in the fourth quarter.

This is the team Frank Vogel imagined. Or at least as close as the Magic have been to it this season.

“That is one of the few complete performances that I have seen being with the Orlando Magic,” Gordon said. “That is very inspiring and reassuring that this team can be great. We are great. We just need to put everything into place.”

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All that faith and patience asked for throughout an injury-riddled preseason and the struggles of the first three games of this season seemed to be rewarded in one performance. Or at least it was a glimmer the team is on the right track and continuing to grow and make positive steps. A breakthrough win — no matter against who and how was necessary for that realization.that the It was just the Sacramento Kings. It is not time to race too far ahead. Just like it was not time to race too far ahead following the losses to start the season. But the signs are at least very encouraging.

The Magic’s weaknesses seemed to come alive and become strengths this evening.

“It is coming along,” Vucevic said. “I think tonight was our best showing as far as offensively how we can play. We were more consistent, moving the ball, making plays for each other and making unselfish plays. That’s how we have to play. I thought we had a great effort on that end tonight.”

This was how the Magic were supposed to work. They held their first opponent to fewer than 100 points and a 103.9 offensive rating. That is well below the Magic’s season average so far. And the team got down and dirty defensively in the fourth quarter, holding Sacramento to 6-for-18 shooting and just 16 points.

The stops worked to get the Magic out on the break. Allowing them ample opportunities to push the pace and score in transition.

Orlando still missed a lot of shots, but they picked up the slack with 13 offensive rebounds and 23 second-chance points. Many of their 10 3-pointers came because of the work players like Biyombo and Gordon did on the glass to save possessions.

The Magic played a lot more like how they want to be playing, moving the ball and playing stronger defense than they had in those two miserable games to start the season.

“The approach we had against Philly really helped us,” Bismack Biyombo said. “It was a must-win for us and every night has to be like that. No matter what, we have to win the game. We got to get out there and give our best. That’s what we started doing.”

In that fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Magic discovered some of their fight and edge to their game. The kind of physical nastiness and edge they will need every night to win. They found it again in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers.

At long last they put a complete and full game with that kind of effort. Displaying all the signs of a team willing to work on the defensive end and use that to create their offense.

And even when things were not working, the Magic just found a way. The hallmark of a good team. Or at least a team figuring some things out.

“I believe in this team,” Frank Vogel said. “I’m not surprised we won. I’m happy we won. There is no guarantees early in the season. These, to are working to gel and to come together as a group on this court and to try to do what I’m asking them to do. That takes a little time. It’s a process. We took a positive step tonight.”