The Major Thing the Magic Take Going Forward from Beating Mavericks

The Orlando Magic are celebrating after beating the Dallas Mavericks 115-114 inside the Kia Center.

The game came down to the final moments, like many Magic contests have this season. The Magic ultimately pulled out the win thanks to Wendell Carter Jr.'s dunk with just over a second to go on the clock from a Jalen Suggs pass. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley explained postgame what he will take away from the win.

“Well, I think there’s lessons you learn in it, because we made some mistakes before then. But that’s the beauty of the game that you have to play 48 minutes. I think if we’re saying anything about the game, it has to be that," Mosley said postgame.

"That you play 48 minutes all the way through no matter what the heck is happening, because it could have gone down when they got the block or the and-1 with Cooper [Flagg]. I think it’s a big portion of us just continuing to play all the way through. So that’s the momentum that we’re going to continue to need to play 48 no matter what happens within the game because it is a game of runs.”

Magic Do Just Enough to Win

Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze is guarded by Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Mosley's theory is right. Every play is necessary when games are won by a single point. Every free throw, every pass, every turnover, every shot matters in a game that close — from both teams.

The Magic made their fair share of mistakes against a Mavericks team that won't be in the postseason this spring. Had the Magic played a stronger opponent, it may have led to a loss. The Magic will have some difficult games down the stretch that they have to win against playoff-caliber talent, but it will take 48 minutes of high-quality basketball.

The Magic will hope for better health in the final few weeks of the season with Franz Wagner possible returning in late March and Anthony Black and Carter Jr. recovering from their ailments that plagued them earlier in the week.

The goal for the Magic is to play their best basketball going into the tail end of the season. They haven't reached their goal yet, but they are lucky enough to have some time before achieving that.

The Magic are back in action tomorrow when they take on Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves at 3 p.m. ET inside the Target Center in Minneapolis.