Orlando Magic’ comeback over Miami Heat reveals their identity culture

19 comments

1. Go Magic 💥

2. I told you were better without Mo and his lack of defense

3. Officiating was complete horseshit. Let’s call it what it was

4. We won, they lost. Go Magic

5. I'm still in shock Lol
   Go'Magic 🏀💪💪

6. 'It Was For Moe': Magic Pull Together, Rally for Win Despite Wagner's Loss

7. Quite the win. Lot of unexpected guys showed out.

8. The Magic's comeback victory over the Heat was bittersweet. I'm happy for Cole Anthony, who stepped the scoring up in Wagner's absence. But I'm even more devastated for Moe Wagner, hope the injury isn't as bad as it looked.

9. That comeback win made me cry😢 because after everything this team has been through with injuries really hurts 😢 and they deserve these wins they worked hard to be in this position!!! And will continue they deserve these wins!!! I'm really happy the team was using the next man up mentality and shout out to Cole Anthony 🥺🥹 he finally stepped up it's been a while

10. The Refs last night should be disciplined by the league the way they called that game. Does anybody know if this is the same group that referee the Knicks game were no Magic starter attempted a free throw?

11. It looked like the referees had Anthony Black targeted last night. The NBA is in bed with Vegas and online betting and games like that last night make you look and say ,” hmmm this feels suspicious “ as soon as AB would come back into the game they’d call another foul on him within a minute. Were down a pg in Suggs and Cole up till that point had been unplayable so taking away AB was supposed to leave us without a point guard. Some really questionable reffing IMO

12. I know we need better point play but this is the reason we should keep CA as a sixth man. He brings the energy when he enters the game.

13. Magic fear Mo Wagner’s knee injury might be serious 😭

    ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Add Moritz Wagner to Orlando’s rapidly expanding injury list.

    The Magic’s backup center, and the older brother of injured forward Franz Wagner, went down with a potentially serious left knee injury with 2:33 left in the first quarter of Saturday night’s game against the Miami Heat.

    The Magic came back to win 121–114, but the elation of their comeback was tempered by the prospect of a long absence of a player they consider to be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.

    “We’re all praying for him. This one was for Mo,” said center Goga Bitadze. “It’s really bad to see one of our brothers go down. Like we’ve been saying, ‘Next man up,’ But this guy deserved better than this.”

    Magic coach Jamahl Mosely opened his postgame comments with an emotional announcement that he could not answer questions about the 6-foot-11 Wagner. The team said Wagner will undergo further evaluation on Sunday.

    Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, Orlando’s top two scorers, are out long-term with torn obliques. Banchero missed his 25th game Saturday night and Franz Wagner missed his fifth game. The Magic also played Saturday without guard Jalen Suggs, who was a late scratch after injuring his ankle in a game against Oklahoma City on Thursday night.

    RELATED COVERAGE
    Image
    Jayson Tatum’s big night: 1st 40-plus point triple-double for Celtics since Larry Bird in 1992
    Image
    Cunningham has 28 points, 13 assists to lead the Pistons past the Suns 133-125
    Image
    Curry scores 31, makes 7 3-pointers in Warriors’ 113-103 win over Timberwolves
    Mo Wagner’s knee buckled on a drive to the basket. He went down and was helped off the floor and brought straight to the locker room.

    He averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds whole playing 19.4 minutes per game. He has played in all 29 Magic games so far this season and missed only two games last season.

    “I think he was going to be the Sixth Man of the Year. Hopefully he can come back and pick that up,” said Cole Anthony, who led Orlando’s big comeback Saturday night.

    “I call him a one-man army,” Bitadze said. “We were all playing for Mo. You look at the crazy numbers he’s had this season. Sixth man, definitely.”

14. I'm ashamed for turning the game off. I really thought it was beyond over with ejection/injury

15. Not trying to be negative here but a little dose of reality, dear fanbase. This win by the G-League depleted-Magic says more about how bipolar the Heat are this year than anything.

    This one game doesn't prove anything, gang. It is obviously up to the Magic to prove that this game DID mean something more than a W-L stat, as the season moves forward.

    Beware of adopting "culture" branding, lest ye tick off the Basketball Gods. Miami has demonstrated very little of what that "HEAT Culture" nonsense is supposed to convey, since marketing the "Heat Culture" brand.

16. This was a good win on its own, granted, but this is not a Finals Championship.

    Philip, if a regular-season game in December remains a vainglorious moment for the fanbase in a few years, then that circumstance is likely predicated by a continuity of disappointment more than a legacy of success.

    As the Boston Celtics organization will note, they only hang Finals Championships from their rafters. Lionizing way-lesser accomplishments is not who they are, nor what the Magic should aspire towards …. especially when the opponent is Miami. Crowing about this win in Florida will only confirm that Orlando as both city and NBA fanbase just can't see past its chic big sister down south. Better to follow the example of Tampa, as they shut everyone up with multiple NHL and NFL titles.

17. Even more impressive of a win when you factor in it was a 5 on 8 game last night with the Refs clearly playing for the Heat

18. Great game .. go magic ❤ we dope

19. Took my brother-in-law to the game, to see his Heat, as a Christmas gift. Amazing game for him I thought… Until it was an amazing game for me in the end. Incredible experience.