Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley directs his team against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Orlando Magic fell to the Toronto Raptors 109-93 Tuesday night in Scotiabank Arena, marking the team’s fourth straight loss.
Read: Raptors Rise from Early Knockdown, Hand Magic Fourth Straight Loss
The Magic, now 23-22, sit eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Here’s what Magic coach Jamahl Mosley had to say postgame.
JM: “I think we hit a slow patch, they turned up the defense a little bit, picked up full court, grabbing, physical, aggressive, which is, you know, their style of play. We weren’t able to get to the basket as easily and we didn’t finish some possessions at the rim. I think we did a great job getting there – I don’t think we did a great job of finishing once we got there. That third quarter got away from us as well. I think we started out okay and they just turned it up a ton. Again, it’s part of keeping our guys’ conditioned, being able to play through eight guys.”
JM: “I mean, I don’t think it’s really an excuse at that point. It’s just – that’s a reality. I think that becomes a reality. We came out great, we had high levels of energy, intensity, communication, running through screens, getting over screens. As the game wore on, trying to maneuver with eight guys, having to continue to battle, continue to fight, and then they got extremely physical. Our attacks to the basket were going sometimes unrewarded, and so I think that took the level of frustration away from us.”
JM: “I loved Paolo being aggressive. I think his first couple attacks to the basket, getting hit, getting grabbed, getting held – I think those are who he is and what he is, and he’s doing a great job of playing through it. Those are things we’re gonna have to continue to do and continue to see because he’s an aggressive force as he gets in there. So I think just his ability to get downhill attack the basket and play the right way. We’ve got to do a better job of, all of us, finishing once we get there. But I loved our aggression when it came to getting to the rim.”
JM: “That’s a very good question, and I think in this – you want to come away with the win, don’t get it confused. You want to come away with the win, but there’s got to be a lesson in this loss. I think a big portion of that, one, is once we get bodies back, that will be a big change. Two, I think we’ve got to understand what exactly was successful in that first half that leads to doing it again in the second half. Part of that is ball movement side-to-side, defending the right way without fouling. I mean, we put them on the free-throw line 28 times – we’ve got to do a better job there. Again, learning lessons as we watch film and watch the tape, you know, how can we continue to start the right way, play a good first half but it put together for 48 minutes.”
JM: “Yeah, he and Cole (Anthony) are very ill right now. I think getting them home, getting them back healthy, is going to be a big portion of this for us.”
JM: “It’s huge. It’s huge right now in these moments. Our guys’ ability to go home, get some rest, regroup, reset. Got a tough game in Portland coming in, and I think we’ve just got to get our minds locked into that. This one stings in this moment right now, but we’ve got to learn from it, how can we continue to work on putting 48 minutes of basketball together.
To watch Mosley, guard Anthony Black and forward Paolo Banchero’s postgame media availabilities, click below.
The Magic host the Portland Trail Blazers in their only trip to Orlando. Tipoff is 7 p.m. ET from the Kia Center on Thursday, Jan. 23.
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