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Postgame Report: Magic's Offense Comes Alive in Win Over Wizards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – If only the Orlando Magic could face the injury-ravaged and rebuilding Washington Wizards more than the four times that the NBA schedule allows their offensive numbers almost certainly would be as gaudy as their defensive statistics.

On Tuesday, the mostly defenseless Wizards – who were playing without a true center because of three injuries – proved to be just what the Magic needed to feel significantly better about themselves on the offensive end of the floor.

Evan Fournier continued his torrid play of late and scored 31 points and he got plenty of help from D.J. Augustin, Markelle Fultz and Aaron Gordon as the Magic withstood an offensive onslaught from Bradley Beal to topple Washington 127-120 at Capital One Arena.

``That’s a good win, for sure,’’ said Fournier, who became the 11thplayer in the 31-year history of the Magic to score at least 30 points in consecutive games. ``As far as shooting, for sure (it’s the best stretch of his career). I mean, I’ve had some good runs, but I’m definitely feeling good right now, yes.’’

Augustin scored a season-best 24 points – 16 of which came in the fourth quarter – and drilled four of five 3-point shots. Meanwhile, Fultz – who grew up nearby and rooted for all of Washington’s sports teams as a child – added a career-best 20 points and six assists. The 20 points broke his previous career high of 19, which also came against the Wizards three weeks ago in Orlando. For Fultz, his performance was even more special because it came before dozens of friends and family in the crowd.

``This is huge, and it just shows the work that I’ve put in, the opportunity that this team has given me and hard work that this team has put in,’’ Fultz said. ``I couldn’t do it without my teammates on the floor. They get me open, get me the ball and they’re great teammates.’’

Gordon, who is still rounding back into shape after missing three games with an ankle injury, chipped in 18 points, 11 rebounds and two 3-pointers. Orlando set season highs for points (127), field goal percentage (51.1 percent) and 3-point makes (15) on Tuesday, breaking many of the marks set previously against this same Washington team at the Amway Center three weeks ago.

``We knew that shots were eventually going to drop for us and it’s just about being consistent with our execution,’’ Gordon said. ``(The Wizards) put up a lot of numbers and production, but we continued to score. Evan is in a great rhythm, to see ‘Kelle come get a career high in his hometown is a beautiful thing and D.J. off the bench contributed a lot. Guys all over the floor were making plays for each other and I thought the ball moved well tonight.’’

Orlando (9-11) has now won three of its last four games. Also, the Magic – 10-10 through 20 games last season – snapped a five-game losing streak in Washington, a skid that dated back to December of 2016.

Washington, which led by one point for just 14 seconds of Tuesday’s game in the third period, got 42 points from Beal. The all-star guard, who recently had 34 points in Orlando, made 16 of 30 shots, three of six 3-point shots and seven of 10 free throws in 42 minutes. He had 22 points in the first half and 14 in the third period when the Wizards made a brief run.

Terrence Ross added 14 points and two 3-pointers, while Jonathan Isaac chipped in 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks for an Orlando that is still without all-star center Nikola Vucevic (sprained ankle) and key reserve Al-Farouq Aminu (torn meniscus in right knee).

The only negative of the night came when defensive ace Michael Cater-Williams – who returned on Tuesday following a six-game absence because of a hip injury – had to leave in the second half with a bloody nose. He got whacked across the face by Beal in a foul that was upgraded by referees to a Flagrant 1 foul. After the game, Carter-Williams had noticeable swelling in his face and needed cotton swabs in both nostrils to stop the bleeding.

``Man, with MCW, I feel bad for him,’’ Fournier said of Carter-Williams, who had five points and five rebounds in nearly 13 minutes. ``That was good defense too (on his steal of Beal). He’s tough, one of the toughest guys on the team.’’

The Magic defense came into Tuesday ranked second in the NBA in points allowed per game (101.9), 12th in field goal percentage allowed (44.4 percent) and seventh in 3-point percentage allowed (34 percent), but their offensive numbers – 29th in scoring (101), 29th in overall shooting (42.3 percent) and 29thin 3-point accuracy (31.2 percent) – have been significantly worse.

Enter the Wizards, who often provide a soft spot to land for struggling offenses. Washington came into Tuesday ranked 30th in points allowed (122.7), 30th in field goal percentage allowed (49.3 percent) and 27thin 3-point percentage allowed (37.6 percent).

Orlando beat Washington for a second time on the young season. The Magic topped the Wizards 125-121 on Nov. 17 at the Amway Center. Those 125 points scored against the Wizards were previously a season high. Fortunately for them, the Magic still have two more games against their rivals from the Southeast Division: Jan. 1 in Washington and Jan. 8 in Orlando.

Tuesday’s game served as something of a homecoming for Fultz, who was born and raised in nearby Upper Marlboro, Md. and starred in high school at famed prep school DeMatha Catholic. Fultz travelled back home to spend time with family and friends on Monday, and he had many of those same people at Tuesday’s game to form a personal cheering section.

It was just the second time in his injury-ravaged NBA career that Fultz has played in Washington, D.C. The first time came in October of 2017 in his first game as an NBA player. Fultz played just 33 NBA games in his first two NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers because of a Thoracic Outlet Syndrome injury in his right shoulder. He has since gotten himself back healthy since joining the Magic via a trade last February.

``I caught a lot of eyes with a lot of family and it just brings joy to my heart that they could see me out there playing basketball and happy and doing what I love,’’ said Fultz, who had back-to-back pull-up jumpers from 17 and 15 feet in the third quarter to blunt a Washington rally.

Orlando will be back in action again on Wednesday – this time to face the Phoenix Suns at the Amway Center. It will be the Magic’s third of 11 back-to-back sets of games on the season. Orlando hasn’t fared so well in those first four games, losing in Oklahoma City and in Dallas and falling at home against Milwaukee and Denver. Phoenix, one of the NBA’s surprise teams and a winner of nine games already, rallied to a victory in Charlotte on Sunday.

Washington (6-13) was staggered earlier in the day on Tuesday when it learned that centers Thomas Bryant (stress reaction in his foot) and Moritz Wagner (ankle sprain) would be unable to play because of injuries. Those losses had Wizards’ coach Scott Brooks trying to come up with solutions on how to make it through Tuesday’s game with a couple of power forwards manning the center slot.

``We’re going to have to obviously junk it up,’’ Brooks said of having to play an extreme version of small ball on Tuesday. ``Anybody have (former) Don Nelson’s number? He might be able to help me. I’m sure it’s Willie Nelson he’s hanging with and we don’t want to know what they are doing.’’

Up 97-88 after three periods, Augustin helped Orlando keep the lead by carving up Washington’s porous defense. He hit four of five shots, drilled two 3-pointers and connected on six of seven free throws in a 16-point fourth period.

``He’s been playing really well, but he just hasn’t shot the ball as well this season,’’ Magic coach Steve Clifford said of the veteran point guard. ``To me, the guys like him who have done it for a long time, they’re going to get back to what they’ve done throughout the whole career.’’

Up as much as 18 in the game’s first 24 minutes and by 14 at intermission, the Magic surprisingly saw the lead disappear when Washington drilled its first eight shots of the third quarter – four of them being 3-pointers. That allowed Washington to grab its first lead of the night at 75-74 with 8:14 left in the third. However, it wouldn’t last as Gordon and Fournier combined to hit three 3-pointers in the next 2 minutes to put Orlando back into the lead. The Magic would stay there the rest of the period and they took a 97-88 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Magic are now 7-1 on the season when leading after three periods.

Orlando led 68-54 at intermission thanks to getting just about anything that it wanted. The Magic narrowly missed their season high for points in a first quarter. But it did set a new mark for points in a first half with the 68, breaking the previous high of 61 – which was set, not surprisingly, against the Wizards on Nov. 17 at the Amway Center.

The Magic made 58.8 percent of their shots and seven of 14 3-point shots in the early going and rode hot hands from Fournier (seven of 10, 17 points), Fultz (six of 12, 12 points), Gordon (five of seven, 11 points) and Augustin (three of four, eight points).

Fultz and Washington point guard Isaiah Thomas both attended the University of Washington and are friends, but the Magic’s blossoming point guard abused his rival in the first half. When he wasn’t shooting over the much-smaller Thomas for uncontested shots, he was finding teammates for four assists. His best look came in the second quarter when he wrapped a pass around a Washington defender to a cutting Fournier for an easy layup.

``It was great to see the fight that we had when they made that big run,’’ Fultz said, referring to the stretch in the third quarter when Orlando responded to Washington’s brief one-point lead. ``It was important for us to get our lead back, push through (the second half lull) and get this win. That’s big for us.’’

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