Orlando Magic All Access: Start of Season Presented by City National Bank
[Music] I think it has the possibility to be a really special season. When you look at the additions they made, everyone comes back a year older, healthier. They’re getting Jaylen Suggs back to start the year. It has the makings of a really special season. No doubt. I’m expecting a really fun season. I’m expecting, you know, probably one of the most memorable seasons the Magic have had as a year where they’re looking like we will be competing for a championship very soon. You obviously have two young allstars in Paulo Beno and France Vagner. You’re adding another highle player like Desmond Bane, a group that’s been together now for really four years for the most part. They’ve slowly built this thing up and I think they feel like they’re they’re on the precipice of of that breakthrough to get into the elite of the Eastern Conference. [Music] [Music] It’s a lot of anticipation. Um, it’s always excited when the year starts. You know, kind of feels like the start of, you know, school back in the day. You’re excited cuz, you know, it’s a long journey and this is the start of it. You just got to take it one game at a time and uh have fun while you’re doing it. I think everybody’s mindset has been so elite all throughout camp. Um, and the fact that, you know, day one is here or game one is here, I shouldn’t say day one. I’m really excited for everybody to just get out there and play, be, have fun, enjoy the Kia Center full, show Dez and Taius, uh, Jay, Noah what the city’s really about, uh, you know, come regular season, you know, when we have everybody in the hole behind us. So, I’m very excited to get rolling. Stand and cheer for your Orlando. [Music] Loose ball picked up by Mocker. Bronze off and running. Up and dunking San Dasha fires up another three. It’s a beauty. Finder lets it fly for three. Got it. Anabayo receives it from Mitchell. [Applause] For three. Long rebound. Powell Rio. He won’t miss two in a row. Backs it up. Miami has done a good job getting back on defense. Slowing the magic up. Score it for Vanero. S the steal strike as she lays it through. That’s the J miss in and out. Carter big man rebound. Carter get around it and in the foul. Carter poked it away but Pow’s got it. The foul runs over Suns and it is an offensive foul. Bio rejected. Carter got it from behind. Magic have numbers if they hurry. Five on four. The pass goes in. Ver steps it in. Three-point shot. Wiggins knocks it in. Firing fade away. No good. Carter musling the rebound. He got him flushed. Yovic almost a 5sec count. A three-point shot is short. That’ll do it. 1 second left. All zeros on the clock. Another magic win on opening night against their Sunshine State rivals. Welcome back. We’re better than what we showed and we’re moments in it. We could have gone the other way. So, what we got to continue to do is come together, be better down the stretch, which we ended up being, but we know we got another level to get to, right? Difficult to win in this league. Found a way to get tonight, but we’re a better team than what we showed tonight. But we found a way and we keep improving that as we go down the stretch. We said one better every day, better every game, better every practice. All right, let’s bring it. Magic on three, on takes. 1 2 3. Fron, you you look a lot across the NBA and a lot of crazy things happen in openers. How did you like your group’s ability to withstand the chaos and come up with big plays down the stretch? Um, yeah, I thought, you know, not our best game probably, especially defensively, but no, it’s important for us to to go through these moments and and understanding that we need everybody to, um, be locked in every moment cuz you don’t know which which play can decide the game. I think we we got, you know, good character as a group, uh, good mentality, um, in practice and stuff like that. So, I think that showed up, but at the end of the day, we we want to play better for the majority of the game. and um but also understanding that you know you’re going to be in these situations and you know going to play perfectly every every game. So um it’s good to come up with the W. Joe Prunty has been in this thing for a long time. He and I were together in Cleveland for 3 years, but prior to that he’d been with San Antonio, been with Dallas, been with Brooklyn, and he had been a head coach himself, whether that was interim, but also the head coach of the national team. So his ability to know what it’s like to be in the seat was huge for experience and for, you know, communication with me as well as our players. I’ve seen the success that he and the organization has had and what during his time here as a head coach and what the staff has done, the journey they’ve gone on to grow the way they have. And I was kind of like, you know, well, what do you need me for? like what’s the and so we had a really good conversation about a lot of different topics and I knew from my perspective I need to find a way to fit in. There is a lot of really good things in place and coach has established an identity right now for me personally. I’m evaluating that and this is the conversation that I had with coach is that okay I think you’re doing a great job and you want to add me to this so I felt honored. Morning gentlemen. Uh we’ll get straight to it. Um what we’ll do when we go over there a little differently uh just cuz walking into it back to back and then we went over there and got some some movement around yesterday. What we’ll do when we go over there today will be a quick stretch. uh go over the game plan on the floor. Uh mix some lineups when it comes to the our sets and how we want to guard and then get you guys out of there. We won’t even do all the running around answers to the test and whatnot, but we’ll have to get what you need at the end. But the focus on the game plan is going to be the most important piece for us tonight. [Music] Ball is up. It’s won by Orlando. And we have magic in Mottown. Wendell Carter Jr. from the corner. Splash for Silva and another rebound. Vanero. Shot is up and in. Pistons have no answer for Paulo Vanero. [Music] Nice to Carter Jr. He’ll catch it and throw it down. Now Duncan Robinson the other way at him up to Jaylen Duran and he’s gotten loose and the good friends will embrace JB Bickerstaff and Jamal Mosley but this one goes to JB’s Pistons. Anytime you make some changes there’s going to be a little clunky. There’s going to be some bumps in the road initially and I think that’s what we’re seeing. It’s a new offense. It’s more possessions. It’s more opportunities to turn the ball over, unfortunately, but it’s more opportunities to score, get to the free throw line. We’re up almost 10 points per game from last year. We’re getting to the free throw line. We’re getting more possessions. We’re getting opportunities. So, you’ve made some new changes, some new wrinkles that you’re going to be better for in the long run, but you got to get through these bumps in the road until you get there. Anthony Black answers with the three of his own. How about AB? 10 first quarter points. Now I’m talking to other assistants and trying to learn, you know, things that they they’ve seen or what they know and how they’ve handled things. And I kind of pick and choose right now like, okay, when can I say this or when does it make sense? Because maybe it’s not what we do. There were things that we did in San Antonio that we didn’t do in Dallas and it didn’t mean this one was right and this one was wrong. It meant that this Yeah, that was the fit. And so right now I’m still learning and and that and I know I will be for a little while here. Carter now Tus Jones bangs home the triple. That’s how you want your threes to come right there. Good win for the Orlando Magic. 123 to 107. They’ll snap that four-game losing streak and they’ll improve to 2 and four on the season. How would you describe your team’s all-around execution on both ends of the floor? I’ll just say uh it was it was really crisp. Um offensively uh we got into our sets, we shared the ball well. I think we had nearly 30 assists, so that’s a good number for us. Defensively, we were just uh super intent. Uh we stuck to the game plan and we guarded our matchups well. What’s the biggest thing you need to take away from this game going forward to remember what this looks like? Probably just leaning into our defense. Um that’s what we’ve been uh the last couple years. That’s what’s made us a good team, got us to the playoffs. So, uh, as we try to play faster, the challenge is just continuing to focus on defense and, uh, do the things necessary to get stops, turn those into runouts and offensive possessions. Let’s get it. Magic win the tap. And we have Magic. Vagner wide open. He’ll try a three and he’ll knock it down. There’s a nice play by Frog setting up window. Oh, cute. Our finishes. Terrific find from Jaylen Suggs. Baskets for the Wizards out of that timeout. Nice take by Bane. He leaves for Mataz who dunks it down. Bronze Vagner, nice move, leaves it for Jonathan Isaac. Magic getting victory number three on the season. And the Magic moved to three and four on the season. 125- 94 is the final. Defense and depth. Defense and our depth. All right, that’s what it is right now. Enjoy winning. The quest for the cup begins tonight as the Magic return to Kia Center to begin group play. They’ll host the Boston Celtics in a rematch of last year’s first round of the NBA playoffs. We are underway. Emirates Cup basketball from Orlando, Florida. Vancero stays in front of Pritchard. Fadeaway jumper rejected by Paulo Vantero. Drives it in. One-handed push comes up short. Nice tap to Silva. Open for three. It’s good. Just great recognition. Load. Low. Stay down. Stay down. Had a practice. Jump in. Now this was for real. It’s controlled by the Magic. Black streaking ahead. Oh, in the foul. And Black took a nasty fall. Black tries to make it. It’s around and out. 1 second left and that’s the end of the quarter. It’s no good by Garza. Suds running Bane faking driving. Bane high toss. Score the basket and the fouler to the cutting. Carter ducks it in. That’s one way to make sure it’s not blocked. Boston’s doing this with Jaylen Brown on the bench. Anthony Black soaring to the basket and a foul on Walsh. Black out top to Carter. Three-point shot is good by Windendell Carter Jr. Clutch from beyond the arc. That’s big time coming right back to him. Richard backs it out. Knocked away by Black. What a defensive play. Carter on the attack. Puts it up and in. Count it. He’ll go to the line. No good. and Cro tipped it. Sucks with it. He’ll drive. He’ll reverse. He scores. Yeah, they get the whole deal now. Pritchard at the other end. Rejected out of bounds by Fron Bagner. That’s what you do. You don’t give anything. Everybody understands what it is all about. Now Richard gets one up at the buzzer. It’s no good. And that is the end of the game. Emirates Cup victory for the Orlando Magic over their rivals from the Northeast, the Boston Celtics. 123 110 is the final. Desmond, a few tough games for you before this one. How good was it to kind of get back on track in front of the home crowd? Yeah. No, it was good for sure, but um you know, it’s basketball. There’s going to be moments when it’s when it’s really good and moments when it’s tough. It’s how the season go. I’ve been in there long enough to know, you know, that I’ll shake back. So, it was it was definitely good to to play well and get a win. Desmond, how difficult is to adapt um to your new role in this team? Um how difficult has been all this process? Def definitely uh definitely a process, you know, trying to trying to fill it out. Um you know, when to get other guys involved and and let them do their thing and when to to be aggressive. But that’s that’s any you know what I’m saying, new job. like if you was to go work somewhere else, it’s going to be, you know, some adjusting at first and um until it feel normal and routine. So, it’s uh it’s getting better day by day. That’s the beauty I think of the game is the game allows you to if you are open and you allow yourself, you will learn something new as you continue to progress. That’s what I enjoy. I want to get better, too. We want to win and we want to help the players improve. Everybody wants to grow and get better. So why would I be any different? And that’s what’s exciting. Somehow got it to Dilva. He’ll drive and the seas opened up for Tristan Dilva. Vagner got a good screen from Carter. Lobs it up. Wendell. An easy throw down. Flinging. Vagner attacking. Murray. Jet. Howard drills it for three. [Applause] Holiday very clever defensively. Mcain escapes. Driving layup is a beauty. As Mcain a clutch, two points to give Orlando a nine-point advantage. Passes to Grant deep in the corner. Magic very active defensively. Aia drills it for three. Aa keeps it within two possessions. Holiday can’t shoot. Abdia can for three. It’s good. Denny Obia cuts the lead to two. Camaro will inbound for the Blazers. It comes in to Grant. He scores remarkably over the top of Vanero and a foul. Orlando is down by two. 112 to 110 with 10.6 on the clock. Get it in. Had a timeout. Didn’t need it. Vanero will have it. Guarded by Camaro. Vanero driving down the lane. Puts it up and in. And he’s fouled with 5 seconds on the clock. And now he is at the free throw line. He missed it short. Portland will take a timeout with 4.5 seconds on the clock. [Applause] Holiday Ben Carol took it away and the Magic have a timeout left. A lot of things you can do, Jeff, with almost two seconds. No doubt about it. You’ve got plenty of time to even take a couple of dribbles once you catch it. is going to have a chance to win the game for the Magic looking. No timeouts left. The pass comes to Bane. Bane hoisting at the buzzer. He drills it. It’s magic on a Monday night. 115 112 the final. Desmond Bane mobbed by his teammate. [Applause] How difficult was it to stay focused with how crazy it was the last minute of this basketball back and forth game, man. Um, you know, it tested us. You know, we’ve been through a lot to start the season, but um, you know, it was good to come out on top on a game like that. I, as a kid, you dream of game winners. You just first one. How was that feeling getting mobbed over there? Ah, nah, it still still ain’t set in yet. You know what I’m saying? Once I go sit down, I’ll be able to really enjoy it. Watch that a couple hundred times. Great shot, D. Yeah, for sure. Way to find a way, D. Hell of a way to find a way. Down the stretch, the smart decisions, right thing to do, but our ability to stay with it is big time. That’s a team win. That’s the spirit that we need to keep going and moving one game at a time process. All right, let’s go. Get in [Music] front.
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