Mosley praises Banchero's fearless playoff performance, highlighting his poise, decision-making, and clutch execution under intense pressure.
On the team's composure and response to pressure:
"That's what I just said to those guys in there. The composure—they tie it up and we didn't rattle with three something minutes to go. Our ability to stay the course and execute was key. Obviously, we had to make a couple big shots down the stretch, but it was more about the stops in that last two minutes. It was our defense, our composure, our communication—all those little things within the game are so important."
On the defensive trust and team chemistry:
"I think it's very important. These guys have been talking about it all year and it builds over time as you continue to have the chemistry amongst the group. In that last stretch, Desmond cramps up a little bit. Jalen is saying, 'Get AB in the game.' He comes up with a big play. It’s the trust that they have in each other, and that's what's got to continue down the stretch."
On Desmond Bane’s record-tying performance and work ethic:
"I could go on and on and on about Desmond Bane because he's such a professional, because he doesn't rattle, because he stays the course and he just works every single day. He recovers his body, does it the right way, and brings his teammates together. He is about as professional as you can be and as great as a teammate you can be, so to see him rewarded in this way is big. It's also the trust these guys have in him because of what he's built since the moment he stepped in that door."
On Franz Wagner’s resilience:
"It was big time. He has such a level of determination and a work ethic that is close to second to none. For him to be able to bounce back after everything—the ups and downs, whatever's going on with his body—he's never going to lose that competitive edge and spirit. Attacking when he needed to, making the big shot when needed—he did it tonight and that was big."
On Paolo Banchero thriving in the playoff atmosphere:
"He's not afraid of the moment. He was great tonight. His ability to communicate with me, the coaches, and his teammates about what was going on on the floor, being able to distribute the basketball, and recognizing how they were playing him. He let the game come to him, but he still was in attack mode all night long."
On Jamal Cain’s impact and confidence:
"He just does all the little things. He hits that big three. We had drawn up an ATO (after-timeout play) and I had him in the other corner. He looked at me like, 'Hey, I can knock that one down, too.' Next play down, he flips the corner and knocks down the three. It's those little things that make the guys have trust in him. He just does what's necessary to help this team get a win."
On the state of the series and being up 2-1:
"Being up 2-1 at home is a good thing, but again, you got to come out and do it again. That's why I'll keep saying it's the one game, because a lot of things can happen in that moment. Our ability to stay even-keeled and understand that we've got to learn from this game is what's most important."
On the physical nature of the series against Detroit:
"That's what this series is going to be about. It's going to be a physical battle back and forth regardless. We knew that going in. Our ability to stand our ground, deliver the blows when they need to be, and be smart about it—I keep using the word composure—that's what it's got to be."
On the energy of the Magic fans:
"I said it when we were in Detroit coming home: we have the best fans in the NBA. The building was loud. They were supporting our guys, understanding exactly what's going on in the game and what needed to be done. That energy they bring is so important to our guys and it gets us going in a different direction."
On handling opponent runs and regaining focus:
"Runs are part of the game. We just got to recognize what's happening within them. Are we getting the right shot? Are we organized offensively? Are we getting the right type of stops? Being able to settle it down and get to the free-throw line in those moments to stop the run, get your composure, and get our sets right is what's most important."
On the journey from the Play-In game to a 2-1 lead:
"One game at a time. That's how you get here. You handle today the right way and that's all you can do. You can't go back and look at eight days ago; you just got to go at what today is. We got the win today, and now we got to go and play one more game and figure it out from there."
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