Inside The Wizards

Wizards Coach Highlights Team's Biggest Struggle

The Washington Wizards couldn't get it done in a loss to the Orlando Magic.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) goes to the basket against Washington Wizards guard Jared Butler (4) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) goes to the basket against Washington Wizards guard Jared Butler (4) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images
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ORLANDO — The Washington Wizards are going back to the drawing board after losing 121-94 to the Orlando Magic on Sunday night at the Kia Center.

While the Wizards played well in the first half, holding the Magic to within five points, things began to unravel in the second.

“I thought our guys played with the right intensity and force," Wizards coach Brian Keefe said postgame. "We didn’t, obviously, have that in the Memphis game. We came out and I thought we played the right way. Tried to establish the game like we talked pregame, but we obviously saw the struggles. We didn’t offensive rebound. We didn’t keep them off of the offensive boards, and they end up getting like 20 more shots [than] us with the turnovers and the offensive boards. Tough to win in games like that, but we tried to do the right thing in the first half. Cut it to five, then obviously the game changed in the third quarter. Credit to them, but we got to be better on the boards.”

The Wizards allowed the Magic to grab 15 offensive rebounds, which pointed to a big reason behind the loss. Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly shared the same sentiments as his coach after the game.

“The first half was pretty solid," Coulibaly said. "We were doing the right things. We came out with the energy and everything. In the second half, we were slower and everything ... our execution. They were holding the ball a lot more. They had a lot of offensive rebounds and that is where we lost the game.”

It's clear that rebounding, especially on offense, will be a point of emphasis when the team takes on the Houston Rockets tonight. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.

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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.

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