The Orlando Magic escaped Brooklyn on Wednesday with a win over the Nets thanks to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Paolo Banchero in overtime. The victory pushed the Magic to 7-2 this season in games decided by three points or less, and while they have been on the winning side of tight contests, it has further solidified how challenging the NBA can be. 

“You know, this league is hard to win in, no matter who you're playing against,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said before Friday’s home game against the Philadelphia 76ers. “Like you said, some of those games shouldn't have come down to those final buckets at the end of the game. But, you know, at the end of the day, you got to take the wins, and you take them and then just learn from them.” 

“So, I mean, it's also a credit to us executing late; both offensively and defensively. “But like I said, it's what kind of happens in the first three quarters that can alleviate those type of games.” 

The Magic have not won back-to-back games in over a month as they deal with formidable opponents, injuries and inconstancies in their play. To get back to stringing together multiple wins, consistency and aggressiveness must remain paramount. 

“I think we just got to, you know, find a way to make it work on both ends of the court consistently throughout the game,” Carter Jr. said. “When we get our leads, continuing to do what got us that lead, not shying away from what works.” 

“And then defensively staying aggressive, no matter what the score is, no matter what point in the game it's at. There's one thing I've noticed, that teams are not giving up. Teams are fighting to the very last possession. So, we got to do a better job of just being able to string together both great offensive and defensive possessions, no matter what the score is.” 

After acquiring Desmond Bane over the summer, The Magic had grand expectations placed upon them after making the playoffs in consecutive years. The Eastern Conference seemed to be up for grabs, and the basketball world viewed Orlando as being well equipped to make a deep postseason run.

Even though the team has not reached its full potential, Carter Jr. is not fazed by it. 

“I got confidence in this team, because everybody wants to win. We all want to figure out a way to win and string some wins together.” 

“So, I got confidence that it'll all come together at some point, especially with guys coming back into the fold. I think it'll all work out for sure.” 

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