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Orlando Magic : 3 reasons they can win their games at home

By Luke Duffy

Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford talks to the team in the final seconds against the Toronto Raptors during Game 2 in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. The Raptors won, 111-82, to even the series. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images)
Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford talks to the team in the final seconds against the Toronto Raptors during Game 2 in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. The Raptors won, 111-82, to even the series. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. Feed off the crowd’s energy

A quick scan of social media and it is clear how excited Magic fans are to have playoff basketball back in Florida for the first time in seven seasons. It goes beyond the people there though, with a notable contingent flying in from the United Kingdom as well.

There is no doubt that they will have the arena rocking for games three and four, and the players need to feed off of that energy and get going early to put the Raptors on the ropes. The first five minutes of Game 3 will be critical, with the Raptors having a chance to take the fans out of the game early if they come out strong.

The Magic did a version of this themselves in game one. They never pulled away to quieten the crowd, but just by hanging around into the fourth quarter they created nerves around the Scotiabank Arena. There are reasons to believe the same thing could happen to them, but getting the crowd on their side early would be huge.

They are going to cheer for every made shot and corralled rebound anyway, and it just so happens that this is one of the main traits of this Magic team: Their fighting spirit. So why not give them something to cheer about as early as possible?

A possible link to this could be loosening the rotation to give their bench a bit more run. Center Khem Birch has averaged 19 minutes in the playoffs so far, and as a fan favorite the crowd reacts well to his style of play. The same is also true of point guard Michael Carter-Williams and sixth man Terrence Ross.

With the starters struggling in Game 2, the call could be made to give key bench contributors more time on the court. It could bring the crowd into it even more, while also serving to throw up different looks to a Raptors team that looked comfortable handling the Magic’s starters offensively in their lone victory so far.