ORLANDO – Emboldened by last spring’s clutch run to the playoffs and armed with unprecedented continuity with the return of 12 players, the Orlando Magic collectively thought they had matured beyond the point of falling prey to the pitfalls that swamped them on Sunday at the Amway Center.
However, as the Magic were once again reminded during a puzzling 109-102 home loss to the shorthanded Indiana Pacers, there continues to be more questions than answers for them thus far in the young NBA season.
Bothered most of the season by offensive woes, the Magic (3-7) saw their energy and execution bottom out in a woeful third quarter and then their defense uncharacteristically struggled against a gritty Pacers team that scored time and again on pull-up, mid-range jumpers and off cuts to the rim.