Magic at Wizards
The Orlando Magic can't seem to figure out which team is going to show up on any given night, especially on the road. The Magic will try to snap a three-game road slide and get back to the business of fighting for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference when they visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
Orlando dropped three of its last four games, including losses at lottery-bound Cleveland and Memphis, and sits one game behind the Miami Heat for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference entering play on Tuesday. "We definitely have to get back from this because we feel like we've given away a couple of games here – several games, actually," Magic forward Aaron Gordon told reporters after a 105-97 setback against the Grizzlies on Sunday. "We've just got to play in a way that we know we can play through April and May (for the playoffs)." The Wizards are running out of time to make their own playoff push and sit 3 1/2 games behind the Heat after snapping a two-game slide with a 121-115 triumph over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Monday. "I thought we executed down the stretch, we got the stops that we needed," Washington coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "The key to tonight was we didn't give up a lot of offensive rebounds like we did the last two games. Hopefully that continues. We rebound, we give ourselves the best chance to win."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), NBCS Washington
ABOUT THE MAGIC (31-37): All-Star center Nikola Vucevic posted his fourth straight double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday but lamented the team's inability to execute down the stretch. "We just need to execute better and make some shots," Vucevic told reporters. "Defensively, we gave up some and-ones and those hurt, especially in close games. And we fouled them a couple of times to get to the free-throw line. A few mistakes, and those will hurt you in a close game." Orlando shot 35.6 percent from the floor in the loss while falling to 13-21 on the road.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (28-39): Washington picked up the win in three of its last five games and getting out of each five-game stretch with a positive record is one of the team's goals. "Definitely good to be able to finish this five-game series with a win," All-Star guard Bradley Beal told reporters after Monday's triumph. "We break them up into a five-game series. This is a good week for us because we were 3-2. We've got five more this upcoming week, so we've got to make sure we are ready to go. Tonight is the way we need to play moving forward for sure. It was great energy on both ends." Beal totaled 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists on Monday and averaged 26 points, 8.2 assists and 7.4 boards in the five-game stretch.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Magic SG Evan Fournier went scoreless on 0-of-4 shooting in 14 minutes at Memphis before being ejected for arguing a call.
2. Wizards PF Jabari Parker is averaging 18 points on 65.5 percent shooting over the last five games.
3. Washington took two of the first three meetings, including a 117-109 home victory on Nov. 12.