ORLANDO – In the position that the Orlando Magic now find themselves – on the doorstep of the playoffs with just nine games and 18 days remaining in the regular season – each showdown the rest of the way takes on more and more significance.
That is the case largely because of the guile and grit that the Magic showed over the final 17 minutes of a game on Friday that likely saved their season.
Down 14 to start the fourth quarter after being badly outplayed by the plucky Memphis Grizzlies, the Magic crafted a stirring fourth-quarter rally and some clutch overtime play that ultimately might define the season.