By John DentonNov. 14, 2015
ORLANDO – For a second straight season, the NBA’s schedule-makers did the Orlando Magic no favors, making them play in Washington on the second night of a back-to-back set of games against a Wizards team on a multi-day break.
Not that this Magic team was looking for an easy out or searching for an excuse on Saturday night because that’s just not the way it operates now under no-nonsense head coach Scott Skiles.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Orlando stood toe to toe with the Wizards most of the night, looking every bit the equal of a team that reached the second round of the playoffs last season.
However, the Magic ran out of gas late in the night, couldn’t ever find Kris Humphries on the perimeter and suffered another heart-breaking loss to the confounding Wizards. Orlando saw a promising four-point lead with 5:30 to play disappear when Washington ripped off an 11-2 run to surge ahead and defeat the Magic 108-99 at Verizon Center.
Point guard John Wall, who hit the game-winning shot against the Magic 2 1/2 weeks ago, carved up Orlando (5-6) with his scoring (15 points) and passing (11 assists). Many of them went to Humphries, who had 23 points and five 3-pointers – three of them coming in the game-turning fourth period.
Down seven points late in the fourth, Orlando got back to within 101-99 with 1:20 to play. Needing one stop to have a chance to tie the game, Orlando instead gave up a fifth 3-pointer to Humphries. The forward, who is shooting more 3-pointers than ever this season, in Washington’s smaller lineup, made nine of 14 shots.
Nikola Vucevic had 19 points, Evan Fournier scored 18 and Elfrid Payton chipped in 17 for the Magic. Aaron Gordon scored 12 points off the bench. Orlando shot just 43.7 percent from the floor. However, they yielded 12 3-pointers to the Wizards (4-4).
The Magic missed out on a chance at a third consecutive victory and a chance to move above .500 for the first time in three years this late into a season.
Orlando suffered a heart-breaking loss in the season-opener when it squandered a five-point lead with 96 seconds to play and lost 88-87 to Washington.
That crushing loss, combined with Saturday’s late collapse, means Orlando has now dropped 10 consecutive games against the Wizards – a streak that dates all the way back to March 29, 2013.
Also, Orlando has lost eight straight games in Washington. The Magic’s last win in D.C. was all the way back in February of 2012. Orlando plays their Southeast Division rivals in D.C. again on Jan. 1.
The Wizards held a moment of silence before the game for the tragic events in France on Friday when terrorists killed 129 citizens. Then, with the French flag at midcourt and lights coloring the court in blue, white and red colors, France’s national anthem was played prior to the U.S. anthem.
It had to be an emotional moment for Magic guard Evan Fournier, a native of suburban Paris who has been concerned about the safety of his friends and family the past two days. Fournier was told of the plans to honor the victims before the game and he had his head down – possibly in prayer – during the moment of silence and French anthem.
Orlando was playing its second game without standout guard Victor Oladipo, who is out indefinitely with a concussion suffered in Wednesday’s defeat of the Los Angeles Lakers. Oladipo, a native of suburban Washington, D.C., still isn’t able to practice with the team because of the symptoms from the concussion. Per the NBA’s concussion protocol, the 23-year-old Oladipo will have to pass a variety of tests and be cleared by independent neurologist before being allowed to return to game action.
Washington was also without its shooting guard – Bradley Beal – because of a sore shoulder. The Wizards came into the game having lost three in a row and four of five. Having played 11 games in the first 18 days of the season, Orlando will now get its first extended break. The Magic will be off on Sunday and back on the practice court on Monday and Tuesday before hosting the vastly improved Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at the Amway Center.
Up by six points at the half, the Magic started the third quarter sluggishly – something of a problem all season – and squandered the lead.
A 13-4 run by Washington to start the second half put the Wizards into the lead. An eight-point burst by Payton seemed to steady the Magic, but another 16-4 run by Washington rocked the Magic. The uneven play in the period left Orlando in a 79-76 hole heading into the fourth period.
Orlando led 56-50 at intermission and it nearly expanded on that lead when Dewayne Dedmon snagged a steal in the final seconds of the first half. However, Fournier couldn’t connect on the 3-point shot at the horn and the Magic had to be satisfied with their six-point bulge.
Riding the stellar shooting of Vucevic (14 first-half points) and Fournier (10 first-half points) and the hustle of Harris (nine first-half points) and Harris (eight first-half points), the Magic stayed in control early on.
Any concerns about Orlando’s energy level was put to bed early when it raced to a 15-5 lead. Other than a five-minute stretch across the end of the first period and the start of the second quarter, the Magic had the lead in their possession.
Fournier, who has been dealing with the pain of seeing his native France come under attack, started strong by making three of his first four shots.
From there, Vucevic owned his matchup against Marcin Gortat and Nene by making seven of 14 shots in the first half. And midway through the second quarter, Vucevic dove onto the floor for a loose ball and shuffled the ball to Gordon, who finished a layup as he was fouled.
