Tristan da Silva

Dictionaries, it’s said, are updated four times a year, and for those who opened their copies in late-December, it’s likely that the Orlando Magic’s blue-and-black, multi-starred logo appeared somewhere under the word “resiliency.” 48 hours after turning a 25-point deficit into a signature victory — minus its two All-Star-caliber forwards, no less — Tristan da Silva’s group eyeballs an encore, with only one well-executed possession separating them from a victory over the NBA’s reigning champions. Fearless, and ready to see if lightning can be bottled twice, da Silva steadies himself along the floor’s left 3-point corner, turning his teammate’s pinpoint hook pass into a game-clinching triple. Down by 15 at halftime, Orlando continued a magical week of come-from-behind wins with December 23, 2024’s demonstration. Respectfully described as an “old rook” by his teammates in the aftermath, da Silva's veteran-like cool left himself among the game’s many heroes, as he tallied 18 points (on 6-of-11 shooting), alongside three rebounds, one steal, and four 3-pointers.

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