Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley vowed resilience and hard work after his team’s recent struggles continued in a 102-86 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. Without star forward Paolo Banchero, who is sidelined with a torn right oblique, the Magic were once again unable to find offensive rhythm, shooting a dismal 14.7% from beyond the arc, making only five of their 34 attempts.
The Magic’s 3-point struggles have underscored a rough stretch in which the team has lost three consecutive games, averaging only 93.3 points per game. Their shooting percentage has dropped significantly during this stretch, hitting just 38.1% from the field and 22.2% from three-point range. Currently, the Magic rank 27th in scoring league-wide, averaging 105.1 points per game, with their three-point shooting percentage at 30.4%, barely above the San Antonio Spurs at the bottom.
In his postgame remarks, Mosley addressed the team’s ongoing shooting slump.
“We will not stop working. I can promise you that this is a group that works. They come together, they pull for one another,” Mosley said. “We are not gonna stop working on those things just because the result is not what we want in this moment. There is a process to everything that we do, and they will continue to stick with that process and trust in the way which we played tonight.”
Jamahl Mosley praises Goga Bitadze's impact in Magic's loss to Thunder
Mosley’s commitment to the team’s process and belief in its work ethic reflects his confidence in the young Magic roster’s potential despite their early setbacks. Mosley also commented on the performance of center Goga Bitadze, who returned to the starting lineup after missing four games due to a strained tendon in his left foot. Bitadze provided a needed presence in the paint, posting 11 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, along with a steal and a block on five-for-eight shooting.
“He was fantastic,” Mosley stated. “His ability to come off of not playing for so many games to give us a presence at the rim defensively, in the pick and roll he was great. I think he did a good job playmaking, recognizing when they were switching and how he could punish the switch on the offensive glass. I think he did a lot of great things, he’s so valuable to what we do.”
Goga Bitadze, however, was modest about his performance, noting he felt somewhat out of rhythm after his time on the sideline.
“I was a little out of rhythm,” Bitadze admitted. “I haven’t done a whole lot this last week because my foot was hurting. This was the first thing I did, basically, and it felt a little rough out there. But it wasn’t like nothing serious. We got great looks, great wide-open threes – that’s what we want. The ball didn’t go in, and we just gotta move on, keep playing defense, keep doing what we gotta do. It’s gonna come, and it’s a long season.”
Bitadze confident in team's shooting potential as Franz Wagner fuels the offense
The 25-year-old center also shared optimism about the team’s shooting woes, emphasizing confidence in his teammates’ abilities.
“We got a lot of great shooters on this team,” he said. “You look at our roster, we got guys shooting over 40% from three. It’s gonna come. You gotta stay with it. Every team has that little slump where they can’t hit shots, but we stay consistent with our defensive mindset. Everybody knows that we’re working hard, and it’s gonna come.”
Franz Wagner, meanwhile, provided a scoring boost for the Magic, tallying 22 points on eight-for-17 shooting. Wagner, recovering from an illness earlier in the week, continued his aggressive approach, driving to the basket and drawing contact. Mosley praised Wagner’s resilience, though Wagner also recorded five turnovers, reflecting the team’s ongoing battle to find consistency.
“I think he’s moving past it,” Mosley commented on Wagner’s recent health issues. “His ability to attack the basket the right way, get downhill, draw contact and still play through shows what he can do.”
As the Magic (3-5) prepare for their final game of a challenging five-game road trip, they’ll face the (3-4) Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. With key players like Banchero and Carter out, Orlando looks to end the trip on a positive note, hoping that the shots will eventually start falling and that Mosley’s promise of continued hard work will soon yield results.
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