Mike Bianchi: Magic fall in Game 7, but their rise has just begun

CLEVELAND — It has become tradition during the Orlando Magic’s 35th anniversary season for delirious fans in Kia Center to chant, “Play the song! Play the song!” when the Magic record a victory. And then the crowd celebrates and sings along when a remade version of the original team anthem blares throughout the arena.

On Sunday afternoon, as Orlando’s players tearfully trudged off the court on the road after being eliminated from the playoffs following a devastating 106-94 Game 7 loss to the Cavaliers, it only seems appropriate that we should dust off another decades-old song.

Maestro, can you please please play“We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenters.

“Before the risin’ sun, we fly …

We’ll start out walkin’ and learn to run

And, yes, we’ve only just begun.”

As syrupy as the classic song is, it perfectly illustrates why Sunday afternoon was such a bittersweet occasion for the Magic and their fans. In the moment, players and coaches were obviously dejected about getting knocked out of the playoffs after being up by 18 points late in the first half but, in the bigger picture, this is just the beginning of what is an exciting new era of Magic basketball.

“It sucks to lose in Game 7 with a chance to close it out,” solemn Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said afterward. “But in the same breath, you have to put it in perspective. Sometimes, these painful moments are blessings in disguise. It hurts now, but I’m proud of this young group for what they did this season.”

There’s no denying that this loss stings more than most because of the circumstances surrounding it. It was, after all, Game 7 and the Magic did have an 18-point lead with 4:17 left in the first half. The Cavs were down and their crowd was starting to boo them. However, it’s the NBA. You knew the Cavs were going to make a run, and they did.

Donovan Mitchell, who scored 50 points in a Game 6 loss in Orlando, continued to carry his team with 39 in Game 7. The Cavs ratcheted up their defensive tenacity in the third quarter and the young Magic finally started acting their age. They became discombobulated and hit only 4-of-24 shots in the period. Suddenly, the Cavaliers seized control and their crowd once again became intimidatingly loud.

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