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Magic play improved defense as they beat Pelicans 95-84
- Updated: February 21, 2015
Five games.
James Borrego’s tenure as the Orlando Magic’s interim coach has lasted only five games. That sample size is much too small to draw any firm conclusions about where the Magic stand. Tougher tests loom on the horizon.
But the five games — and especially Friday night’s game — should give players reason for optimism.
The Magic dominated the paint, played improved defense and received contributions from up and down their roster as they beat the New Orleans Pelicans 95-84 at Amway Center.
“We have new energy, new enthusiasm,” swingman Evan Fournier said.
It shows.
The Magic outscored the Pelicans 64-36 in the paint.
An anomaly?
Perhaps.
But maybe it was the result of Borrego and his assistant coaches continuously stressing the need to protect the paint since Feb. 6, the day after the Magic dismissed head coach Jacque Vaughn.
The Magic have run the same defensive drills in every practice since, players said.
“Protecting our paint is the biggest thing, contesting every shot, helping each other,” guard Victor Oladipo said. “We’re just buying into it right now.”
In the Magic’s first 52 games of the season, opponents scored 106.1 points per 100 possessions.
In the last five under Borrego, the Magic have held teams to 96.9 points per 100 possessions.
To be sure, two of those last five opponents — the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks — rank among the worst offensive teams in the NBA.
The Pelicans, however, are the ninth-most efficient offensive team in the league. On Friday night, the Magic held them to 42 percent shooting from the field and limited them to 13 points in the final quarter.
“Our defense sustains us,” Borrego said. “Every night we defend, it sustains us. It keeps us in all the games. Whatever’s going on offensively doesn’t affect our defense.”
The Magic improved to 3-2 under Borrego and won back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 12 and Jan. 14.
“J.B., he’s holding guys accountable,” reserve guard Willie Green said. “There’s no excuses. No ifs, ands or buts.”
When the Magic played poorly on defense under Vaughn, Magic players typically said they needed to do a better job of sticking to gameplans.
These days — and, again, the sample size is only five games — the Magic (18-39) are following the gameplans.
“He’s really honest and he’s going to tell you what he expects from you and what he thinks,” center Nikola Vucevic said of Borrego. “It’s all going to be in a nice way, but you’re going to know your role. You’re going to know what you did good, what you did bad. I think guys respect that about him.”
The Pelicans (27-27) are fighting for a playoff spot in the ultracompetitive Western Conference. Now they’ve lost four games in a row and are losing ground to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns.
“I don’t know if there’s ever frightening moments for me in basketball,” Pelicans coach Monty Williams said, “but there is some concern when we have moments like this.”
The Magic benefitted from big games from Oladipo and rookie point guard Elfrid Payton.
Oladipo scored 22 points on 11-of-18 shooting while Payton added 10 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.
Their contributions went beyond their offense.
About five minutes into the first quarter, Payton pressured Tyreke Evans in the Pelicans’ backcourt, forced Evans to mishandle the ball and prompted an eight-second violation.
One minute later, Oladipo took a charge against Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis. The play brought the entire Magic bench to its feet and prompted Borrego to clap.
“Those two really set the tone for us tonight,” Borrego said. “We have challenged Elfrid Payton to pick up [ball-handlers fullcourt], to be aggressive. He’s the face of our defense. When he picks up, when he’s aggressive, we’re aggressive. Victor followed suit. He continued the aggressiveness.”
On Friday night, the entire Magic roster continued the aggressiveness.
And it showed.
“This was a big-time win,” Green said.
