Doc Rivers: What Went Wrong for 76ers vs. Magic on Monday?

The Philadelphia 76ers looked like they had a comfortable win coming to them in the first half of Monday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

In the first quarter of action, the Sixers had a 30-17 lead. During the second quarter, the Sixers expanded their lead by as many as 21 points. However, a solid second-quarter effort down the stretch helped the Magic climb back within ten points at halftime.

This season, the Sixers have proven to be a stellar second-half team, but Monday was not their night in that department. With a 42-point rally in the third quarter, the Magic outscored the Sixers by 14 points. As a result, Orlando had a four-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

While the Sixers and the Magic traded baskets at the start of the fourth quarter, the Magic found separation. Outscoring the Sixers 25-19, Orlando ended up outscoring the Sixers by 20 points in the second half. Although Orlando trailed by so much early on, they ended up securing themselves a win.

In Sixers head coach Doc Rivers’ eyes, what went wrong for the Sixers in the second half?

“Just everything,” Rivers explained. “We played great to start the game, and we had a great effort to start the game. Towards the end of the first quarter on, I thought they played harder, faster, tougher, more physical, and I thought that they deserved to win the game.”

The Magic got what they deserved on Monday. With a 119-109 win, Orlando snapped the Sixers’ seven-game win streak. They also snatched their first win over Philadelphia since December of 2019, putting an end to a ten-game losing streak.

Philadelphia will review their mistakes from Monday night and get ready to return to the court to take on the Magic for a fourth and final time this season on Wednesday night.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.