The Orlando Magic scored the upset of the evening by defeating the defending champion Golden State Warriors, on Thursday, 103-96.

Following the big win, second-year power forward Jonathan Isaac was quick to credit the coaching staff for the grit and determination exhibited by the team:

“I think it starts at the top, with the toughness of Coach Cliff,” Isaac said, via Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “It definitely has trickled down. We definitely feel ourselves as a more resilient, more mentally tough team, because we work for it. We work hard. We come in every day, and we work towards being mentally tough, and it shows out there.”

The Magic definitely reaped the fruits of their hard work on Thursday, as they successfully defended their home turf against a Kevin Durant-less Warriors side.

Related NewsArticle continues below
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) controls the ball while Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) defends during the first half at TD Garden.
Paolo Banchero shouts out 2 special teammates who helped NBA transition
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) looks to drive to the basket in the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden
Paolo Banchero drops Knicks example for Magic to take next step to contend

For his part, Isaac was remarkably efficient on the evening, scoring 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. The 6-foot-10 forward also added four rebounds and a block as he helped guide his side to a victory against the champs.

On the season, Isaac is currently averaging 9.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 26.3 minutes per game as the team's starting PF.

The Magic are now 29-34, and they are holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. There are still several other teams in the East vying for that final seed, so Orlando will need to show every bit of that mental toughness if it hopes to make a postseason run this year.