Inside the highlight compilation that preserved the Magic’s season

The video begins with Paolo Banchero, then a freshman at Duke, executing a pump fake, driving along the left baseline, and soaring past a defender for an impressive two-handed dunk against North Carolina during the 2022 Final Four.

Last Friday morning, prior to the Orlando Magic’s most significant shootaround of the season at their training facility, head coach Jamahl Mosley presented his players with a video, which deviated from the typical opponent film breakdown. Instead, he showcased a three-minute highlight reel featuring some of his players’ memorable NCAA tournament moments from their past.

Each player who had participated in the tournament was featured with two clips in the video created by the team’s video coordinator: Jonathan Isaac executing a dunk while at Florida State, Moritz Wagner making a 3-pointer while being fouled for Michigan, and Desmond Bane sinking a long 3 for TCU. The highlight reel progressed with Tristan da Silva at Colorado, Franz Wagner at Michigan, Wendell Carter Jr. at Duke, among others.

Finally, the most notable highlight was saved for last: Jalen Suggs’ iconic buzzer-beater from 40 feet near the half-court logo that shocked UCLA in the Final Four in 2021 for Gonzaga.

“Suggs for the win!” is the final phrase the Magic players hear from CBS’ Jim Nantz just before the ball banks in.

The Magic had recently suffered a disappointing play-in defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers last Wednesday in the contest between the No. 7 and 8 seeds. To compound the situation, travel issues delayed their return home until 4 a.m.

The players were determined yet fatigued. The video offered a much-needed break from the previous two losses, which included a frustrating 113-108 defeat to the Boston Celtics, who had rested their key players on the last day of the regular season. Orlando’s playoff aspirations were at stake in a few hours against the Charlotte Hornets, who were coming off an exhilarating overtime victory over the Miami Heat.

“The Philly game was a terrible feeling,” Banchero shared with ESPN. “For myself and the team, we felt like we let it slip away.”

“But we understood that the season isn’t over.”

For a team constructed to succeed immediately and anticipated to be a top-four contender in the East following the offseason blockbuster trade for Bane, the Magic felt the pressure of not allowing their season to conclude in the play-in. It was a four-point game with 3:25 remaining in Philadelphia before Orlando missed six of its last seven shots and faltered. Another disappointing loss would lead the team into a summer filled with uncertainty, with discussions already rising around the league among some coaches and executives regarding Mosley’s future.

“I’d be dishonest if I said I paid attention to any of it,” Mosley told ESPN about the external chatter surrounding the Magic before their win over Charlotte. “I’ve mentioned this before, just wait a week and the narrative always shifts.”

Mosley arranged for the video to remind his team that they have fought, excelled, and even created unforgettable moments in the past. Since then, the Magic have been striving to create their own “One Shining Moment” this postseason. The Magic reversed their season’s trajectory by decisively defeating the Hornets 121-90 to secure the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando followed that performance with a surprising Game 1 victory, 112-101, over the top-seeded Pistons in Detroit. The Magic aim to maintain their momentum in Game 2 on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) by continuing to give Detroit a taste of its own medicine.

After the unexpected Game 1 win in Detroit, Banchero exclaimed in the locker room, “Hey, don’t start drinking the Kool-Aid!” However, it is undeniable that the Magic discovered something on Friday in their victory over the Hornets. What they have rediscovered is their formula for success—intense defense characterized by size and length, physicality, and a confidence that unsettles opponents.

“They came out ready from the start,” remarked Pistons All-Star center Jalen Duren, who was limited to eight points and seven rebounds. “We didn’t match their intensity. They’ve been playing with their backs against the wall, so they were already in a rhythm.”

In addition to the motivational video, Mosley also presented his team with bonus tournament highlights of assistant coaches such as God Shammgod at Providence and Lionel Chalmers at Xavier. The video not only set the tone but also lightened the mood among the players, eliciting hearty laughter, particularly over vintage footage of Chalmers from 2004.

“The one that got me going was they showed Lionel,” an enthusiastic Banchero stated. “It was grainy, but the move he executed, he came down in transition, went really fast, then slowed down, hesi pull-up for 3 … it was just a clean shot. I was like, wow. That got [everyone] energized.”

Suggs mentioned that it was the ideal mood-setter for the Magic.

“It makes everyone feel a bit better,” Suggs told ESPN regarding the video. “You remember where you came from. Mose is really adept at that, reminding us of who we are, our entire basketball journey, not just the frustrations or the weight of the present.”

On Friday night, the Magic appeared as a completely transformed team. Banchero recognized that things had changed after Carter hit two early 3-pointers off Banchero assists, followed by Banchero making an 8-foot turnaround jumper and a 26-foot 3-pointer of his own. In between those shots were two demoralizing shot-clock violation turnovers by Charlotte before the Hornets called a timeout, trailing 27-10 with 3:43 left in the first quarter.

“Our energy was different,” Banchero reflected on that moment. “It felt like they weren’t really ready for that level of physicality. During that timeout, we were just like, ‘Look, what we’re doing right now, we need to maintain this intensity the entire game. It has to be this way, every game.’

“In Philly, we played decently. We played hard enough, but just not with the swagger we should have, including myself in that.”

Banchero recorded 18 points but shot 7-for-22 from the field, including 0-for-5 from 3, with six turnovers against the Sixers. The 2022 No. 1 pick stated he refused to settle for anything less against Charlotte, believing a superstar should play assertively in a do-or-die situation. By coming out and dominating the Hornets, Banchero tallied 25 points, six assists, and five rebounds while making 9 of 17 shots.

In Game 1 against Detroit, Banchero scored all 23 of his points in the first three quarters before taking only two shots in the fourth, primarily making the right reads and allowing Franz Wagner to exploit mismatches inside. Wagner contributed 11 points in the fourth.

“When Paolo plays like that, manipulating the game, it distinguishes great players,” Wagner remarked after Game 1. “He led us throughout the game, and when he’s playing at that level, I believe we’re tough to beat.”

The two games presented different challenges for Banchero, but the outcome remained consistent. Banchero did what was necessary to secure the win for the Magic.

Credit Mosley and the Magic’s video coordinator for their Magic moment video. They aspire to continue this successful run. Regardless of the outcome in Game 2, the Magic will return to Orlando with home-court advantage, aiming to create more April excitement.

“It was just us recalling and recognizing that our season is on the line,” Banchero stated about the video. “Coach’s message was simply to remind everyone that we’ve all faced this situation before, whether in the pros or college, where it’s a do-or-die, win-or-go-home type of game. And we all performed in those moments.”