As the Magic got rolling offensively before the COVID-19 shutdown in March, Orlando coach Steve Clifford also was hoping that his team’s defensive efforts could start to mimic the scoring onslaught.
The Magic were averaging 126 points a game during the final three games of March, the highest output in a three-game stretch of Clifford’s tenure as Magic coach. However, the team was giving up 117 points a game, and Clifford was looking the slow the pace of the Magic’s opponents.
It’s easy to let up on defense when the offense is rolling along, but Clifford was concerned the defensive lapses would be a problem if the Magic’s scoring started to taper off.