Magic's big comeback vs. Heat fuels NBA Cup win

Before they knew it, the Orlando Magic were down 15 points in the NBA Cup quarterfinal against the Miami Heat just minutes into the game.

However, the Magic were able to turn things around and pull out a nine-point win against the Heat to advance to Las Vegas to take on the New York Knicks. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley spoke about the team's comeback in the beginning of the game and why they were able to overcome such a deficit.

“I think the guys just really realizing it wasn't our style of basketball to start. They jumped on us early, give them credit. They came out, hit us in the mouth right away. And we needed to wake up, and we did. I think our guys did a great job of staying the course, chipping away, not trying to go for home runs, but just hitting singles," Mosley said.

Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black brings the ball up court during the second half against the Miami Heat | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Magic make remarkable comeback vs. Heat

On the court, Desmond Bane was a huge difference maker for the team, leading the way with 37 points in the victory. He started getting hot in the second quarter, and that's ultimately what sparked the beginning of the comeback.

“I just thought our spirit was in the right spot. You know, I don’t think anybody really hung their heads. [We] understood that we had to get back to our identity; smash mouth basketball on both sides of the floor. Once we started playing that way, everything started turning for us. You know, we just rode that trend all the way through," Bane said postgame.

“Yeah, we just had to wake up, pretty much," Paolo Banchero added. "They came out playing really fast, kind of being the aggressors, and we just were caught off guard, but we knew we could get stops and get back in the game pretty quickly. We just, you know, kept our process good and once we got it back down to a two-point lead, tie game, you know, we knew we could win from there.”

In a game against the Knicks in Las Vegas, they might not be afforded the same opportunity to come back down 15-0 to start the game. Therefore, faster starts will need to happen in order for Orlando to have a better chance of winning.

Magic make remarkable comeback vs. Heat

More Orlando Magic On SI Stories