WALL GOES FOR 24, WIZ BEAT MAGIC FOR 12TH STRAIGHT TIME
On New Year’s Day, the Washington Wizards beat the Orlando Magic for the eleventh straight time, an impressive feat on its own. After looking foolish in their past three games, Washington was desperate to not fall further behind in the playoff picture. The domination for the Magic continued with a balanced scoring attack that saw every starter and Gary Neal off the bench score in double-digits. John Wall led the way with 24 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and four steals as Washington snapped a three-game losing streak with a 105-99 victory over the Magic.
The Wizards got off to a similar start as Friday against the Raptors, by capitalizing off of the opponents turnovers. 57.9 percent (11 of 19) shooting in the first quarter was helped by 12 easy points off of six Magic turnovers. A 13-4 run gave Washington an eight-point lead, thanks to a couple of jumpers from Garrett Temple. The DC club also had a 12-2 edge in the fast break department, which gave them a 27-17 lead after one quarter.