Magic Defense Disappears in Loss vs. 76ers
The Orlando Magic (5-15) is putting on a lot of band-aids after a 133-103 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers (11-9) Sunday evening at the Amway Center.
The Magic kept up with the Sixers in the first quarter, but all of the air deflated out of the balloon in the second. Philadelphia outscored Orlando 31-13 and ran way too far ahead of the Magic's sight.
The Magic allowed the Sixers to shoot 64.9 percent from the field, a season-worst for Orlando. Philly simply couldn't miss and Orlando had no answer, or at least a healthy one.
Most of those defensive stalwarts who could have altered the game on defense or tried to match the output on offense sat on the bench.
Jalen Suggs (knee) and Markelle Fultz (toe) were surprise scratches before the game alongside Wendell Carter Jr. (plantar fascia), Chuma Okeke (knee), Jonathan Isaac (hamstring) and Cole Anthony (oblique). To make matters worse, Mo Bamba (back spasms) and Terrence Ross (illness) had to leave mid-game.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner tried their best to keep the ship afloat, but it was far too tall of a task.
When half of the roster is not 100 percent and the rest of the team is adjusting to one another because the players have also been in and out of the lineup, it's extremely difficult to win a game in the NBA, and the Magic is learning this the hard way.
Orlando is back in action tomorrow night when it travels to the Big Apple to face Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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