– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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WASHINGTON — The halftime adjustments that the Orlando Magic needed to make after a poor first-half performance against one of the bottom feeders in the league did not have to be displayed on a whiteboard. Looking at a mirror was the tonic, and after the Magic made that attitude adjustment, their best selves showed out in the second half to continue their hot run of form — while continuing what is now the longest barren run without victory in Washington Wizards history.
Franz Wagner scored 28 points while Paolo Banchero chipped in with 25 points and 10 assists as the Magic came back from a 21-point second-half deficit to defeat the Washington Wizards 119-109 inside Capital One Arena on Wednesday evening. After Orlando got into striking distance, Mo Wagner turned into the closer by scoring 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, a stanza in which the Magic shot a blistering 65 percent from the field (13-of 20).
So what was the strategy for the normally defensive-minded Magic when it went into halftime after allowing 65 points and, at one point, going down 57-38 with less than five minutes to go in the second quarter? Well, instead of figuring out the X’s and O’s, it was finding out what was inside the Jimmys and the Joes.
“Wasn’t really much to talk about scheme-wise,” Banchero said. “There was no reason to talk about any scheme at halftime. It was just our effort and how hard we wanted to play.”
That renewed intensity showed itself in the third quarter, as Orlando held the Wizards to just 5-of-18 shooting (28 percent) in the third quarter. In turn, the defensive pressure acted as the catalyst for an offense that made 13 of its 22 shots in the quarter, with Banchero scoring 13 points and playing all 12 minutes in the third.
Banchero then took a back seat from scoring and turned provider in the fourth, taking only one shot from the field but dishing out five assists. Mo Wagner played the lion’s share of minutes at Banchero’s position, and went perfect on all eight shots he took from the field: five field goals, including a three-pointer, and three free throws.
“It is a tied-together group that loves to defend, loves to cover for each other, play the right way, play for one another,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We talked about that. That was the conversation at halftime.”
The blown lead is the highlight of the Wizards’ 16th defeat, which now ties the longest losing streak in franchise history. Jordan Poole led Washington with 26 points off the bench, with Kyle Kuzma pouring in 25 with five rebounds and four assists.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Wednesday evening’s event, with all photos taken by DC-area photographer Michael Smith. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 15 pictures in total.
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