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Orlando Magic: 3 takeaways from Game 4 loss vs. Raptors

By Daniel Lubofsky

ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 21: Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic helps Evan Fournier #10 of the Orlando Magic to his feet against the Toronto Raptors during Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 21: Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic helps Evan Fournier #10 of the Orlando Magic to his feet against the Toronto Raptors during Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Close to no production offensively

All season long, Orlando has been a team that struggled to put points on the board. Even since its resurgence beginning on Feb. 1, it still ranked 16th in points per game and 14th in field goal percentage. Those numbers aren’t terrible, but they don’t exactly seem to translate well to postseason basketball.

In the Game 4 loss, that notion was as clear as ever. The Magic produced just 85 points on the night, shooting 42.0 percent from the field while hitting only seven of their 33 looks from 3-point land. They also only got to the line 13 times, a far cry from the 19.2 they attempted per game during the regular season, which was the worst mark in the entire NBA.

Toronto’s defensive effort should be given credit here. After all, the Raptors ranked ninth in opponent points per game during the regular season and possess some of the best defenders across the league.

Orlando has crossed the 100-point threshold just once in this series. That game also happened to be their only victory of this first round matchup, the tightly contested 104-101 Game 1 victory. There is no exact number of points that would guarantee a win for the Magic, but it’s definitely higher than 85.

These offensive struggles don’t present an easy solution, but they are ones the Magic must find a way to get over. Otherwise, they’ll go down without a whimper, especially if this next takeaway isn’t fixed as well.