You have to go back to the period between December 2010 and January 2011 to find traces of such a dashing Magic team. At the time, Dwight Howard and his teammates had won nine in a row. Since then, the team had never done better than six victories in a row, and this night, Cole Anthony and his teammates got closer with a 7th victory in a row! And they can certainly match Howard and his gang since their next two matches are against the Wizards at home.
Of course, last night, there were only the Hornets facing us, but this Magic is capable of taming the Celtics, but also of holding their own against weaker opponents.
Cole Anthony, the perfect joker
“It wasn’t our best start, it wasn’t our best game, but we can’t turn away from a victory in the NBA,” reacts Anthony, Orlando’s best player this night. “We have to approach all matches the same way. We have set a goal and we must maintain it.”
We imagine that the common objective is to make the playoffs, and that would be a resounding achievement considering the squad, without any All-Star, and barely changed compared to last season. Personally, Anthony can aim for the trophy for best 6th man. This night, he compiled 30 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and he played his role as a joker perfectly with 17 points in the 4th quarter. And don’t tell him that his Magic faces the Wizards twice this week…
“We can’t worry about who’s on our calendar. We have to approach every game the same way,” repeats Anthony. “We set ourselves a goal. We must strive to maintain this level. If we succeed, there will be no limits. I don’t see why we shouldn’t continue to win matches. »
The birth of a “Big Three”
Alongside Anthony, Paolo Banchero delivered one of his most complete matches of his career with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, while Franz Wagner imitated Anthony with 30 points. This local “Big Three” shines with its offensive talent, but also its altruism. Last night, the Magic distributed 33 passes, a record for this season.
“We do a very good job of penetrating, attracting two defenders, and getting the ball out for the unmarked player” underlines Anthony, while Wagner assures that there is a change of state of mind in this group.
“I think everyone in this room believes in it and that’s what makes the difference,” confides the German world champion. “That’s how it starts for us: it’s the change in our mentality compared to the last two years. It’s really great for this group. As the coach (Jamahl Mosley) always says, it all starts with work… We want to continue this momentum. We need to make sure we continue to improve collectively as the season continues. »
