Admit it, the NBA Cup clash between the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat felt like a quiet vindication – not loud, not boastful, but a vindication nonetheless.
Give the NBA credit. This is the exact vision the league had in mind when it introduced the in-season tournament: meaningful basketball in November and December, played with urgency, pride, and a sense of consequence, while the gravitational pull of football season threatens to swallow the sports calendar whole.
The Magic’s 117-108 victory in the NBA Cup quarterfinals Tuesday night is a testament to a team and a tournament.