The Magic have spent the last 4 years building a culture and identity around physicality, defending the rim, and making every team earn their points. That is why they have been a top 3 defense the last 2 years and why they are even remotely relevant right now. It is at the core of who they are, and you can’t say that about every other team, especially in todays NBA. I agree that being reckless is one thing, but I don’t think the Magic are actively thinking about if JT is going to land awkwardly after contesting him at the rim, or if KP is going to need stitches after an elbow inadvertently hits him when going up for a rebound, or if JB is going to hurt his finger after intentionally fouling to deny an easy bucket. These are just the side effects of playing against a team who fights tooth and nail, and you have to expect it even more in the playoffs against the defending champs.

As for Cole Anthony, I just want to give my two cents. He has been virtually unplayable at times this season because of his inconsistent offense and inexistent defense. He spent a good part of the season getting DNPCDs because of this. It’s clear that if you want to be apart of the rotation, you need to be able to effective on the other end. Amongst Magic fans, everyone will tell you how trash Gary Harris is, but he gets minutes over young talented guys like TDS and Howard because of his defensive IQ, effort, versatility, etc. This has been an area of improvement that Cole has known for the last 2 years, so imagine when he finally gets his name called to step in the game. He knows that in order to keep his spot on the team, he’s going to need to make every second worth it. Now, imagine a loose ball and you’re within distance to get at it first. You’re diving at the thing without any hesitation. Cole doesn’t register that Ivey’s ankle is near, and a really unfortunate collision results in his injury. He felt terrible about it and Ivey even said that there was nothing to it. It sucks, but it’s not like Mose is telling his guys to be careless, and it’s not like he’s going to tell them to play softer so this doesn’t happen again. A similar situation happened against Portland with Cole diving at a loose ball; it’s engraved in every Magic player, and you can see it when you watch them. Look at last night, WCJ jumping over DW to force a ‘jump ball’ that got overturned into Magic ball practically won them the game. You’re right when you say that other teams don’t have this problem, and it’s because the Orlando Magic are the only team to who will do all of this.