Washington Wizards: 3 takeaways from the Wizards’ collapse against the Magic
The Washington Wizards folded in the fourth quarter of their second straight matchup against the Orlando Magic, falling 120-113 and dropping to 0-3 on the season.
Things were looking good for the Washington Wizards late in their second consecutive game vs. the Orlando Magic. At the end of the third quarter, the Washington Wizards held a 17 point lead against the team that had out-dueled them on their home court just 24 hours earlier. However, things took a turn for the worse during the final frame. At the final buzzer, the Wizards had fallen to the Magic for the sixth straight contest, behind 26 points from DeMatha alum Markelle Fultz and 26 points off the bench for Terrence Ross. This type of complete and utter collapse for a promising Wizards team has become a trend in this young 2020-21 season. Washington has been outscored 121-72 in fourth quarters through the first three contests. Here’s what we learned from the Wizards after (another) losing bout with the Orlando Magic.
Takeaway #3: Raul Neto shines in his first start
One of the few positives from a disappointing loss for the Washington Wizards was the production of newly acquired Wizards point guard, Raul Neto. Neto, who turned heads in the first half of Saturday’s loss to the Magic with 11 points on 100 percent shooting in just 9 minutes of action, followed up his performance in a big way on Sunday. While Russell Westbrook rested on the bench, Neto, in his first career regular-season start, dropped 22 points, five assists, and four rebounds in 32 minutes of action. Whether it was crafty pull-up floaters, three-point makes, multiple inbounds steals, or even flashy no-look dimes, Neto did a bit of everything on Sunday evening for the Wizards.
https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1343366930472693760?s=20
With back-to-back impressive performances for the 28-year old guard from Brazil, Neto put himself in a great position to take over backup point guard duties from Ish Smith, who has struggled throughout the first three contests. Even as things fell apart down the stretch for the Washington Wizards, Raul Neto was steady, confident, and consistent.