WASHINGTON — It’s not by accident that the Magic won their second game in a row when Jamahl Mosley‘s squad committed a season-low 16 fouls Saturday night against the Wizards at Capital One Arena.
In fact, all three of Orlando‘s wins to start the season have come when the group has committed 20 or fewer fouls, a sign that they’re defending without fouling — something that’s been continually stressed by Mosley.
Not only did the Magic (3-4) limit Washington‘s free throw attempts (Saturday’s game was the second straight Orlando held an opponent to just 15 trips to the line), but they also recorded season-highs of 13 steals and 10 blocks.
“That’s who we know we are,” Magic guard Anthony Black told the Orlando Sentinel in the locker room after a 125-94 victory over the Wizards (1-5). “The last two games we’ve been doing a good job. So, we’ve just got to keep buying into that and we’ll keep winning games.”
Added All-Star forward Paolo Banchero: “Defense is our calling card. That’s what coach is always harping on. It starts with our defense.”
Perhaps just as important as limiting the Wizards to 94 points, shooting 33.3% from 3-point range and a season-low 19 assists was the fact that Orlando posted 125 points for the second time this season, shot 86.4% (19 for 22) at the free throw line and recorded a season-high 32 assists.
The Magic improved to 3-1 when posting 120-plus points this season. Last year, they went 9-1 in those instances (which included two wins against the Wizards).
“They’re obviously connected, getting a lot of easy ones after good stops,” Magic forward Franz Wagner said about Orlando’s offense and defense. “The way the season started we needed to improve on defense as well, but long-term [offense] is where we’ve got the biggest room for improvement.”
In order to improve their offense, the Magic exited the offseason with a plan to increase the pace at which they play after finishing last season as the slowest team in the league.
Entering Sunday’s slate of games, Orlando’s pace of 103.29 (number of possessions per 48 minutes for a team) was the ninth-fastest, according to NBA.com.
“Ultimately, us playing at a higher pace was more along the lines generated from being able to know that we got stops, and getting out and running,” Mosley said before Saturday’s game. “It was more about being efficient in our running game offensively than it was about just trying to play at a breakneck speed.
“Because we knew we were going to get stops,” he added. “So, our ability to get out and run and convert on the other end was a high priority.”
The Magic had success converting those chances against Washington when they shot 10 for 12 in fastbreak opportunities for 24 points. Through Saturday, Orlando was seventh in fastbreak scoring (18.7 points per game) and fourth in paint scoring (56 points per contest) per league-tracking data.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who recorded 5 steals against the Wizards, helps create those chances.
“He’s a disruptor,” Banchero said about Suggs. “He just keeps constant pressure on ball-handlers. He’s in the passing lanes. That gets us out in transition, gets us easy baskets. That’s why we love having him out there because he creates offense through his defense.”
Orlando’s next opponent, Atlanta, is third in paint points (56.7) as of Sunday. But the Hawks won’t have a key member of their team when the Magic host them Tuesday night on NBC.
All-NBA point guard Trae Young, who scored 25 points in a 111-107 road win Oct. 24 against the Magic, suffered a right knee MCL sprain Wednesday at Brooklyn and he’ll be re-evaluated in four weeks, Atlanta said.
Riding two wins in a row after dropping four straight games, Banchero knows nothing will come easy for the Magic on the road regardless of who’s on or off the court.
He’s also aware he sets the tone as a leader in the Magic locker room.
“You didn’t want to start the season as we did, but at the same time, it’s really early so you can’t overreact,” Banchero said. “You can’t start going away from each other and everyone start pointing fingers. It’s too early. And we’ve got guys that have been in the league long enough to know that this is a very long season.
“So whether you start good or bad, you’ve still got to play each and every game and try to get a win because by the time March, April rolls around, it could be a lot different.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
Magic at Hawks
When: 8, Tuesday, State Farm Arena
TV: NBC/Peacock
