Magic Finish 2022 With Loss vs. Wizards

The Washington Wizards punished the Orlando Magic Friday night.
Magic Finish 2022 With Loss vs. Wizards
Magic Finish 2022 With Loss vs. Wizards /

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic (13-24) won't be popping champagne tonight after a 119-100 loss to the Washington Wizards (16-21) Friday night at Amway Center.

The Magic struggled all night long with six players suspended after Wednesday night's brawl in the loss against the Detroit Pistons.

Orlando started off slow, but picked it up early in the second quarter with a 16-0 run that pushed the team ahead by five points.

However, it was all Washington after that.

The Wizards shot 56 percent from the field, led by Kristaps Porzingis' 30-point performance. Porzingis was one of six Wizards to score in double figures.

Washington led by nine points at halftime, but that lead ballooned to 25 after a 42-26 third quarter rout. The Wizards led by as much as 30 to cruise to victory.

While the Magic didn't put its best foot forward, tonight was a great opportunity for the young squad to play a considerable amount of minutes. Franz Wagner led the team with 28, but the team also saw some unfamiliar faces receive a ton of playing time. Two-way duo Kevon Harris, Admiral Schofield and Caleb Houstan all played 25+ minutes and combined for 23 points off the bench.

The cards were stacked against the Magic tonight, and the team has to move quickly off of the loss and look towards the future.

Orlando hopes to bounce back in 2023 with a game at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 on Wednesday night.


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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.