MIAMI - Once upon a time, it wasn’t anything special to hold a team to under 100 points. Just 10 years ago, for instance, the Orlando Magic, who at that time were not a smash-mouth defensive team by any means, held their opponent to under 100 33 times.
But nowadays, it’s a rather big defensive achievement to do it.
So, the fact that the Magic have held their opponent under 100 points 14 times, which is tied for second most in the league with the New York Knicks, is a pretty big deal. The Minnesota Timberwolves are the only team who have done it more times (15).
The Magic have been great defensively all year, but they’ve taken it to another level lately.
Over the last eight games, Orlando ranks No. 2 in opponent points in the paint, No. 2 in opponent points off turnovers, tied for No. 2 in opponent second chance points, and tied for No. 3 in opponent fast break points.
Although an eight-game sample size isn’t anything massive, this is extraordinary stuff. It’s extremely atypical for a team to rank in the top 10 in all four of these categories, let alone in the top three in each of them.
Maybe the best part is that the Magic’s defense seems to get better, and more stifling, as games wear on. These last eight games, opponents are averaging the fewest fourth-quarter points against Orlando, as well as the fewest rebounds.
The last three games, in particular, the Magic have locked down their opponent down the stretch. In the final five minutes in Orlando’s win in San Antonio, the Spurs only took three floor shots and, largely because of the Magic’s suffocating defense, committed three turnovers. Both the T-Wolves and Pistons, meanwhile, went 2-for-7 against the Magic in those final five minutes.
“That’s the name of the game -- being able to find one or two things down the stretch to get you over that hump,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said after the win in Minnesota. “It’s good that we are going into these games against different teams, teams that are good at one thing, teams that are good at others and just understanding how to take those things away and like I said, just one or two things to get us over that hump to get us the win.”
The Magic are 22-1 this season when either ahead or tied with their opponent after three quarters, and are 13-1 when holding their opponent to under 100 points. The Miami Heat, whom the Magic will play again on Tuesday, are the only team that beat Orlando without reaching 100 points.