Magic Searching for Rebounding Edge After Costly Lapses Against Knicks
In a game of inches, sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference. That was the case during the Magic’s NBA Cup semifinal matchup against New York, where a single missed box-out turned into a momentum-shifting possession.
Early in the game, Jalen Suggs found himself caught between two decisions - track Josh Hart in the corner or stay locked in on the shot. As Jalen Brunson rose up for a three at the top of the key, Suggs glanced at Hart, then turned his eyes to the rim.
Brunson’s shot clanged off the back iron. But instead of Suggs securing the rebound, it was Hart - who had slipped through the cracks - that soared in for the offensive board.
Seconds later, Karl-Anthony Towns buried a jumper that gave New York a fresh spark.
It’s the kind of sequence that sticks with a coaching staff, and it’s exactly what head coach Jamahl Mosley wants to clean up.
“There’s been moments where we’ve been beaten on the glass a few times and that’s the small details, which we’ve worked on,” Mosley said after Wednesday’s practice, ahead of the team’s trip to Denver. “You’ve got to find and hit guys first, and then you go pursue the rebound.”
That’s basketball 101 - box out, then go get it. But even good teams slip into bad habits, and for a young, athletic squad like Orlando, the temptation to leak out for a fast break can sometimes override the fundamentals.
To their credit, the Magic held their own on the boards against a Knicks team that entered the game ranked third in offensive rebounds per game (13.8). New York finished with just eight offensive boards - a solid number for Orlando. But the cracks showed in key moments, especially in the first quarter when the Knicks cashed in nine of their 13 second-chance points.
That’s where the frustration lies. The Magic are close - statistically, they’ve been one of the better rebounding teams in the league.
Through their first 26 games, they were grabbing 52.1% of available rebounds, the sixth-best rate in the NBA and just a hair behind the Knicks (52.2%). On the defensive glass, they were pulling down 71.9% of available boards, while their offensive rebounding rate sat at 32.7% - an improvement from last season’s 30.2%.
But it’s the slippage on the defensive end that’s raising eyebrows. Last year, Orlando led the league in limiting opponent offensive rebounds (just 9.2 per game).
This season, that number has crept up to 10.3 - still top four, but not quite the same lockdown level. And while that may seem like a small change, those extra possessions can be costly, especially for a team that thrives on getting stops and turning defense into offense.
The Magic have been stingy in limiting second-chance points overall - just 12.2 per game, second-best in the league heading into Thursday. But again, it’s a slight dip from last season’s league-leading 11.9. Margins matter in this league, and Orlando knows it.
Wendell Carter Jr. didn’t sugarcoat it.
“It can be better,” the Magic center said. “Just starting from my aspect, I’ve got to do a better job of keeping guys off the glass, especially guys who live on the O-boards and kind of get their money off the O-boards.”
Carter pointed to the need for collective effort - not just from the bigs, but from all five players on the floor.
“Even with me boxing out, their other guys are flying in, so it’s tough,” he said. “I’m saying all of this not as excuses but just the reality of it.
At the end of the day, we’ve just got to find ways to get more rebounds. However that looks, we’ve just got to figure it out.”
That’s the challenge for Orlando moving forward - staying sharp with the fundamentals, especially when fatigue sets in or when the game speeds up. Because in a game where one missed box-out can lead to a second-chance bucket and a momentum swing, the margin for error is razor-thin.
The Magic will look to tighten things up on the glass as they head to Utah for their next test against the Jazz.