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By John Denton
Jan. 9, 2016
ORLANDO – Three times before this season, the Orlando Magic took fourth-quarter leads against the Washington Wizards, buoying their hopes that they were about to end an unsightly losing streak to their Southeast Division rivals.
This time, however, there was never even a shred of hope of the Magic winning as the Wizards gashed them defensively from start to finish and finished off a short-lived rally with 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. And, unfortunately for them, the Magic will have to live with the infamy of their losing streak to superstar point guard John Wall and the Wizards through the summer and into next season.
Washington came into Orlando short-handed and having lost five of the past six games – the one win was, of course, against the Magic – and it still found a way to right itself on Saturday at the Amway Center. The Wizards shockingly made 21 of their first 32 shots, shot 60 percent most of the night and not so shockingly whipped the Magic 105-99. It was their fourth defeat of Orlando this season and the 12th in a row over the past three seasons.
Orlando (20-18) led 2-0 and never was in front the rest of the night. They trailed by 10 at the end of the first quarter, by 14 at one point in the first half and by as much as 17 before launching a rally in the fourth. The Magic got within 94-86 before Washington got three straight threes from Jared Dudley and Wall (twice). Washington, a 36 percent 3-point shooting team on the season, incredibly hit 13 of 23 3-point shots (56.5 percent).
Orlando is an impressive 20-14 against the rest of the NBA this season, but a humbling 0-4 against the Wizards (16-19). Washington is without standout guard Bradley Beal, veteran forward Nene and long-time Magic killer Kris Humphries and they still had no problems because of its torrid shooting. The Wizards ended the first half (a Gary Neal three) and the third quarter (an 18-foot lefty runner from Wall) with buzzer beaters and they shot nearly 60 percent through the first three quarters of the game.
Orlando paid lots of attention to Wall (24 points, 10 assists and three 3-pointers), something that allowed others such as Jared Dudley (16 points and four 3-pointers), Gary Neal (16 points and two 3-pointers), Otto Porter Jr. (16 points and two 3-pointers) and Garrett Temple (11 points and one 3-pointer). Former Magic center Marcin Gortat chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds.
All five Orlando starters and key reserve Aaron Gordon (10 points, 10 rebounds and a double-clutch reverse dunk early in the fourth quarter) scored in double figures, but clearly it was defense that was the issue on this night. Nikola Vucevic scored 23, while Victor Oladipo chipped in 17 points.
The loss came a night after Orlando gutted out a victory in Brooklyn. It is the Magic’s fifth loss in the past six games.
Orlando came into the game having dropped 11 straight decisions to the Wizards, including three this season when it was in position to win each time. Incredibly, the losing skid dates back to March 29, 2013 – the final victory in a 20-win season of rebuilding for the Magic.
The 11-game skid was tied for the third-longest in franchise history, equaling ones to the Hawks (Dec. 6, 2010-Nov. 9, 2013), Trail Blazers (Nov. 17, 1999-Nov. 24, 2004) and Raptors (Nov. 18, 2012-Apr. 10, 2015). There are now only two losing streaks longer than this 12-game losing streak in the Magic’s history: 14 games to the Pistons (Nov. 10, 1989-Feb. 16, 1993) and 13 games to the Cavaliers (Feb. 8, 2013-present).
Orlando will now play just one game in the next eight days – Thursday against the Toronto Raptors – as it travels to London for the 2016 Global Games London. The Magic’s charter will depart Orlando Monday night and the team is scheduled to practice in London on Tuesday and Wednesday. The game against the Raptors – whom the Magic beat 92-87 in Orlando on Nov. 6 for one of their best wins of the season – will be played at London’s O2 Arena. Skiles is worried more about rust than rest with so much time off in between games.
“I’m a little bit more concerned about the players settling into the rhythm of a season and then all of a sudden there’s an all-star break with one game. That’s, in effect, what it is,” Skiles said. “Then, we come home and go right back out on the road. It’s there and it’s a really good team that we’re going to play. Hopefully we can enjoy some of the trip as well and try to win a game.”
Down as much as 14 early on and by 11 at intermission, the Magic had to know it wasn’t their night when Wall let loose a lefty runner from 18 feet and it hit nothing but net as the third period expired. That back-breaking shot left Orlando in an 85-70 hole and it boosted Washington’s shooting percentage up to 58.6 percent, a shocking stat that also included 10 3-pointers in 17 tries.
The Wizards are still without Beal (stress reaction in his right fibula), but they put on a shooting show in the first half to take a 60-49 edge into the locker room. Fittingly, the half ended with Marcin Gortat snagging a rebound and kicking the ball out to Gary Neal, who buried a 3-pointer as the half ended.
Washington made 11 of 19 shots (57.9 percent) in the first quarter and made 21 of its first 32 shots (65.6 percent). And they were doing it from long range, making six of the first nine 3-point shots.
In the first half alone, the Wizards made 60.5 percent of their shots and a jaw-dropping seven of 12 3-point shots.
The Magic paid plenty of attention to Wall – opening up other shooters – and the all-star point guard still burned them for 12 points, five assists and three steals.
Orlando was its own worst enemy early on, turning the ball over eight times. Because of the speed of Wall and wing players Otto Porter Jr. (nine first-half points) and Garrett Temple (seven first-half points), Washington turned the Magic’s mistakes into 15 points in the first two quarters.
Frye kept the Magic close in the early going, making all five of his shots for 12 first-half points. Two of those baskets came off thunderous dunks – rarities for the sweet-shooting power forward.
