Tracy McGrady gives the Orlando Magic motivation to take into Game 2

Paolo Banchero wasn't afraid to speak his mind on the state of the Orlando Magic after a Game 1 win.

Banchero said that, despite the frustrations of the regular season, this playoff berth is an entirely new season in the minds of the team, a chance to still achieve what they originally set out to do – win a playoff series and rack up some late-round postseason experience.

It's a message his Magic teammates need to heed now, as they try to pull a series upset over the Detroit Pistons.

There is nothing you can do to go back and change what happened.

At the end of the day, we are here in the playoffs, and we have a chance to go and do what we set out to do since October.

So, like I said, you can not get to caught up in what happened in the regular season, the frustrations. You got to just come together, realize we are fully healthy right now, and we feel like we are clicking as a group.

We found something against Charlotte with our defense, our energy, our communication.

We know if we just reciprocate that we give ourselves a chance every night no matter who we are playing.

Yeah, definitely just a new season, new energy.
Paolo Banchero

When the team is humming like this, Banchero and the rest of the Magic locker room believe they can hang with any team, any night.

"At the end of the day, we're here in the playoffs, and we have a chance to go and do what we set out to do since October."

Paolo Banchero after the Game 1 win against Detroit 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/yNW9KuS92T
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 20, 2026

It wasn't just those on the inside with those beliefs.

After the big performance from Paolo and the Magic, former Magic great Tracy McGrady didn't mince words in the NBC Post-Game show about the Magic's potential:

If Paolo can play this way, and you get the help from Franz, and Suggs murk up the game with his energy all over the court...

The Detroit Pistons is gonna be in trouble, because (the Magic) are playing confident. Look at how they played against Charlotte.

You come into a hostile environment; trust me, I played in Detroit in the playoffs, and it's a very hostile environment. And you get the job done in that fashion?

I want to see what the 2nd game, and what you provide, what's gonna be different; if you bring that same level of intensity, and attention to detail, we gonna have a real conversation.
Tracy McGrady

T-Mac: "If Paolo can play this way and you get the help from Franz and Suggs...the Detroit Pistons is gonna be in trouble because they're playing conifdent" pic.twitter.com/pkQZvRziP8
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 20, 2026

McGrady said it clear as day – Paolo playing this way, with a healthy Franz, and Suggs flying around with that energy, not to mention Bane, Black, and Carter, makes this Magic team a tough out for any opponent.

As T-Mac alluded to, with how this team is rolling right now, it looks like it's the 1-seed that is forced to make adjustments due to how effective the 8-seed is playing on both ends.

Jamahl Mosley says the Playoffs are an entirely new season

Mosley points — Apr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley reacts during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers of a play-in round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

When we understand what everybody is trying to accomplish on both sides of the ball, I think this team can be pretty good...

Whatever story you told yourself during the regular season, that story is done.

Now, it is the playoffs, so it is an entirely new season.

And how we come together, how we play with poise, how we defend at a high level, how we communicate with each other; that is all a part of this story right now.

It is one game. Can we repeat that on Wednesday? It is going to be even more difficult...

Everything that we are doing in this moment from here on out is about the mindset.

If you act surprised, then when you get hit in the face you are not going to know how to respond back.

And our guys need to keep remembering that this is what we know we are capable of doing, so you are not surprised in that situation.

Enjoy the moment for this night, 24 hours; and then get back to work, because you got to find a way to make it even better on Wednesday, because it is going to be harder
Jamahl Mosley

"Whatever story you told yourself during the regular season, that story is done. Now it's the playoffs"

- Jamahl Mosley#MakeItMagic #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/CAzRTHZIAD
— Daren Stoltzfus WESH (@DarenStoltzfus) April 20, 2026

Through hell and back, Jamahl Mosley has coached up this Magic team back into the playoffs for the third straight year. Orlando is truly healthy for the first time since Game 13 of the season and showing everything everyone though they were capable of at full strength.

The Magic are playing their best ball of the season at the best time.

This Magic team has shown it can be a tough out on both sides of the ball when everything's clicking; if Orlando keeps up the defensive intensity, the drive-and-kick ball movement, and the team-first two-way decisionmaking into the next game, on top of its strategies that worked in Game 1, the Pistons might need to be the ones making the adjustments.

Since the Magic did ultimately throw the first punch in this street fight of first-round matchup, how Detroit fights back with Game 2 adjustments could decide the rest of this series.

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