Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said that his team needs to forget about what happened in Game 6 after they blew a huge lead to the Detroit Pistons.
The Magic led the Pistons in Game 6 by a score of 60-38 at halftime. But they completely fell apart in the second half, ultimately losing 93-79 after the Magic missed 23 straight field goals to blow a massive lead and let the Pistons back into the series as it’s now tied up 3-3.
Game 7 takes place on Sunday in Detroit at 3:30 p.m. ET, with the Pistons the betting favorites to get the job done at home.
Jamahl Mosley Reacts to Brutal Loss
Following the game, coach Mosley spoke to reporters and was asked what his team had to do in Game 7 to bounce back after suffering such a terrible, soul-crushing defeat.
“You gotta wash it, you gotta learn from it, you gotta go get Game 7, you gotta get it the hard way,” Mosley said. “We’ve been in Game 7 before, and we understand what it looks like on the road, the magnitude of it, what we know we’re capable of doing in this situation cause you obviously go up big, so you know what you’re capable of doing. But you gotta wash it and learn from it and go figure out the way to do it the hard way in Detroit.”
For the players, missing so many shots in a row and not being able to see the basketball fall into the net must have been extremely frustrating. But for the coaching staff, it must have been a helpless feeling knowing that they couldn’t go onto the floor and help. It takes a team to win, and it takes a team to lose, and every player and coach on the Magic is at fault here for this embarrassing Game 6 defeat. But it’s like Mosley will end up being the one to take the blame if the Magic lose in Game 7.
Mosley Could be Fired if the Magic Lose the Series to Detroit
Heading into the series, the Magic were a big underdog. But they took a 3-1 series lead, and it looked like they were going to close it out in Game 6 after taking a massive lead into halftime. Sure, it wasn’t Mosley who was the one missing all those shots — ultimately, it’s on the players to perform better — but if the Magic lose, there is a good chance Mosley gets fired from his job.
Mosley was criticized at numerous points during the season by fans and media for his coaching decisions, lineups, and lack of adjustments, but the Magic were still able to overcome any mistakes he made to make the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. In many ways, they were playing with house money against the Pistons, as very few people were giving them much of a chance in this series against the best team in the conference. But since they took a 3-1 series lead and had a chance to close out the series with a Game 6 win at home, only to fall short, it feels like Mosley will be the one who falls on the sword if Orlando loses on Sunday in Game 7 and blows a series they truly had in the bag.
Coach Jamahl Mosley Reacts After Magic Blow Huge Lead to Pistons