Washington Wizards Preview: 3 Things to watch for vs. the Orlando Magic
By Jamal Bedell
Can the Washington Wizards bounce back after losing their opening game of the season? Here are three things to watch for as they take on the Orlando Magic!
The Washington Wizards suffered a tough road loss in the first game of the season. Washington lost 113-107 to the Philadelphia 76ers in a hard-fought game. Even though they didn’t come out with the win, there were still some positives to take away from game one. First and foremost, Bradley Beal looks like he’s already in rare form. He dropped a game-high 31 points to go along with two rebounds, three assists, and four steals. His effort on the defensive end was constant all night, as he’s out to prove his poor performance on defense last year was just an aberration.
Bradley Beal’s new running mate, Russell Westbrook, played fairly well in the loss also. Westbrook became the 1st player in Wizards franchise history to record a triple-double in his debut. He finished the game with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists but he was 9-22 from the field and 0-3 from three. Even though he had an off-shooting night, Westbrook’s fingerprints were still all over the game. His impact already has the Wizards competing at a higher level, and that’s what they’ll need to contend in the East.
Now, the Wizards are heading back to the nation’s capital to face the Orlando Magic in back-to-back games. Last year, the Magic had their number as they won all four matchups by an average of 16.5 points. Orlando won their first game this season 113-107 over the Heat, last season’s Eastern Conference champions. It’s clear the Magic is still a strong team this season. This will be a nice, early test for the Wizards as they look to bounce back from the loss against the Sixers.