Orlando, FL – After a near 10-game losing streak was snapped against the Clippers, the Orlando Magic made a statement on Friday, following up with a impressive 113-109 win against the Toronto Raptors. It seems like ever since the 2nd quarter in the Clippers game, the Magic have been rolling — and against good teams at that. 

Let’s take a look at what three things have been key for the Magic in their last two games:

Tempo:

The concept of beating your team down the court is something you’d expect to see from young teams. In fact, the Memphis Grizzlies have even made a playoff identity strictly based on their ability to outpace the opponent. Unfortunately for Orlando, it’s rarely been displayed throughout their first 25 games of the season. 

That is, until Wednesday night. The Magic have been on a tear these last two games when it comes to pushing the pace. The team has had an average pace of 97.50 (per NBA.com) and have also outscored their opponents in both games in points in the paint.

Markelle Fultz has been undeniably the conductor of this well-oiled machine, holding the majority of the ball-handling responsibilities and capitalizing on them. He’s shown lately that he truly knows how to run an offense off the break and maintain a flow, rather than stick to clunky sets in the half-court. Fultz has also shown a promising improvement in his 3-point shooting, making all three of his attempts from deep in Friday’s win.

“Every time that I have an opportunity to shoot the basketball, whether it be the three, the midrange, whatever—I’m gonna step in with confidence and knock it down. I think you’re just seeing the product of the work I’m putting in.” Markelle Fultz said regarding his improved three point shooting.

Foul Shooting

Friday night saw one of the more one-sided officiating scenes of the season, as Toronto got called for 10 more personal fouls than the Magic. Pascal Siakam was getting foul calls left and right, making the Magic’s job of stifling the Raptors’ runs much harder. At one point in the game, the Magic had racked up 8 team fouls in the 2nd quarter in just 4 minutes of play. Toronto was shooting bonus shots prior to the 9 minute mark. 

Luckily, any team with Paolo Banchero on it is going to see plenty of action at the stripe. When the going gets tough, the tough get to the free throw line.

Since Wednesday night, the Magic have shot a stunning 90.4% from the free throw line. The most notable of these free throws came in crunch time against the Clippers, where Banchero (19/21, 90.5% since Wednesday) netted 6 straight free throws to seal the deal. 

Efficient Rotations:

One of the most notable issues with this Magic team throughout the season has been their inability to stay consistent. Due to players coming in and out of the injury report and players performing better or worse than expected, Coach Jamahl Mosley has had a rough time solidifying a reliable 8-10 man rotation. 

Luckily, the 9-game losing streak of horror was eye-opening, in a way. The team was able to flatten out the wrinkles in their flawed system and take note of the many details that were going wrong for them. Players are now seeming to gel together, as it’s been apparent through the eye test that key guys like Markelle and Paolo are quickly gaining on-court chemistry by the night.

Two names that have been instrumental in Orlando’s win streak are Cole Anthony and Moritz Wagner. Anthony was huge in Orlando’s win against Toronto, racking up 18 points and 5 assists on 70% shooting. He instantly was the spark plug that fans always imagined Cole to become, and his new role is certainly paying dividends. Moe Wagner has stepped up in a massive way, adjusting to his new status of interim starting Center as the team waits for Wendell Carter Jr. to return to the court.

“It’s an attribute to how hard Moe works, how consistent he is everyday. Even when he’s injured and sitting on the bench, he’s bringing that energy and giving everybody a huge spark.” Franz Wagner said regarding Moritz’ performance against the Clippers (20 points, 13 rebounds).

Orlando has the opportunity to make this their largest win-streak of the season on Sunday night, playing the Toronto Raptors once again. This will be a true test of the team’s effort and IQ, as it’s assumed former championship coach Nick Nurse will make heavy adjustments following Friday night’s loss.