Magic Go Soul-Searching in Hopes of Rediscovering Confidence Amid Losing Skid

ORLANDO, Fla. — With 4.8 seconds to play, Paolo Banchero received the ball from the official on a bounce.

After a quick spin in his hands, he eyed the rim and took a deep breath, then a single dribble, shook out his right arm, paused momentarily, then fired a go-ahead free throw for his 40th point of the night. Seconds later, he repeated the motions for his 41st point and the Magic led the Toronto Raptors 113-111.

Banchero had done all he could to earn a much needed victory. With his team down 10 in the fourth quarter, the Magic star made every shot: 8-for-8 from the field, including three three-pointers, and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.

In his fifth career 40-plus-point game, Banchero also had eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals. He and Franz Wagner combined to score 34 of the Magic's 40 fourth-quarter points.

But like two other times in the last month, the Magic's stars combined scoring of 68 or more points (68 on 2/10 vs. Atlanta and 2/27 vs. Golden State, 69 Tuesday vs. Toronto) wasn't enough to win.

With Toronto's starters on the bench, Ja'Kobe Walter's three under pressure (which the NBA said in Wednesday's L2M report shouldn't have happened) handed the Magic their fourth straight loss and the latest gut punch in their spiraling season.

"I think we've got to do some soul-searching, just try and figure it out," Banchero said. "I think a good thing about a time like this is that, really, the only way you can go is up. We've just got to come together and figure out a way for everybody to play with that confidence, play with that swag. Because right now it doesn't really feel that way."

On this 1-5 homestand, which concludes Thursday against Chicago, Orlando has suffered:

a one-point loss to Memphis after blowing a 19-point lead in the third quarter;
a 40-point drubbing from Cleveland;
a 56-point Steph Curry performance in a six-point loss to the Warriors; and now
two losses to the 13th-place Raptors by a combined three points.

"When you start losing, it's easy for guys to lose confidence [and] stop believing," Banchero said Sunday.

"When you're losing games to teams at the bottom of your conference, games that you feel like you shouldn't be losing — I'm not saying that is the case. I'm just saying that's what it feels like, because at least I feel like we shouldn't have lost to this team. They made enough plays to win, but I think these are two winnable games that we should've had. We've just got to try and turn it around."

In Sunday's meeting with the Raptors, the Magic pushed back after falling behind in the fourth quarter. The rally fell short when Wagner missed a layup that would have forced overtime, but Banchero and Mosley both made clear that Franz wasn't to blame for the loss.

The small mistakes with marginal room for error are instead debilitating to Orlando's efforts, whether it be for any number of reasons — excessive fouling, getting beat on the boards, surrendering extended runs without response, or the heavy burden that Banchero and Wagner carry in an offense that struggles to knock down shots.

Since the All-Star break, Banchero and Wagner are combining to average 54.2 points and the Magic have a +12.3 net rating (point differential over 100 possessions) in the 177 minutes that they have shared the floor.

But their teammates all together have combined for 56.8 points in that same span, and Orlando is 2-5 since the break.

As Banchero said Sunday: "The process, it's not resulting in wins."

"It's obviously not easy," Wagner said. "We've got guys out, but we're playing way below our standard at points in these games. I think part of it is staying together, then also just finding joy in playing basketball even if it's not going your way.

"I think it's also just realizing that it's part of the journey. It's not always going to go your way in a game, in a season. So whether we're playing below expectations or whatever it is, it really doesn't matter once the ball is in the air. All those things go out the window."

Sticking together is the only option Orlando has left, as injuries have derailed preseason expectations. The Magic have followed up a 47-win season as the East's fifth seed by being one game shy of tying last year's loss total, sitting 29-34 with 19 games to play. As of now, Orlando is the No. 8 seed and a near-certain Play-In team.

Reinforcements aren't on the way, either. Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner, two vital cogs because of their spark and production, are each lost for the remainder of the season because of knee surgeries. Those two plus Banchero and Franz Wagner played only five games together this season.

Since Moe Wagner's left ACL tear on Dec. 21, the Magic are 11-22. They're 7-19 in 2025 games without Suggs.

Yet, the NBA is unforgiving and the Magic are far from the only team to contend with the losses of key players.

"At the end of the day, as men, as professionals, we have to look ourselves in the mirror — including myself – and figure out ways that we can continue to help each other," Carter said recently.

"It's a thing that we've got to fix as a unit, and I think in these moments there's two ways to go about it," Franz Wagner said.

"It's a good test for us to see what we're made of."

Up Next

Orlando's seven-game Kia Center homestand concludes Thursday, March 6, at 7 p.m. vs. the Chicago Bulls.

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