The Orlando Magic have seen Jamal Cain Grow throughout the year. On Friday night, he was at his best.
The Orlando Magic made light work of the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, beating them 127-103 to extend their winning streak to five games.
A key contributor in the win was Jamal Cain.
Cain led the bench unit with a season-high 20 points on 9-11 shooting from the field and 2-4 from 3-point range in just under 25 minutes of play. He also logged eight rebounds and two blocks.
After the game, he talked with the media about his team’s execution and what was communicated during half time.
“To just focus on what we need to do, control what we can't control, and just lock in on the scout,” Cain said. “We knew Chicago wanted to score in the paint, and they had too many points in the paint at half. But just trying to stay consistent with what we're trying to do, and stay just consistent.”
Cain has had several notable performances throughout the season for the Magic, and his willingness to hustle and do the little things on the floor led to the organization converting his two-way contract to a standard deal in March. After his latest effort, Cain credited his teammates.
“Like I said before, just my teammates,” he said. “They bring so much attention that I'm just wide open every time, and I just gotta make the shot. But just playing hard, just sprinting the floor, trying to make my teammates' life easier, just trying to make the extra hustle plays.”
Through 39 games (one start) with the Magic this season, Cain has averaged 5.5 points on 49% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from 3-point range while averaging 12.1 minutes per contest. He has been especially effective through six games in April; averaging 10.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game, all of which are season-high marks.
For Cain, one area of growth he has focused on throughout the year is his perimeter shooting.
“I would say my 3-point shooting,” he said. “I'd say that was one of the areas I wanted to focus on the most.”
The Magic will conclude their regular season slate of games when they visit the Boston Celtics on Sunday. Currently, they own the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, and a win in Boston could be the difference between a spot in the Play-In Tournament or a playoff spot.
With a lot at stake, Cain understands the magnitude of the next game.
“It's still a lot on the line,” he said. “Win a basketball game, or do whatever we gotta do to win a basketball game.”
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