Washington Wizards: 3 takeaways from the Wizards’ collapse against the Magic

Takeaway #2: Fourth Quarter Collapse: Who’s responsible?

The Wizards’ inability to close out yet another contest has to be the biggest takeaway from Sunday’s loss to the Magic. In his postgame press conference, star shooting guard Bradley Beal stated that he and his team “got comfortable” late in the contest. This lack of urgency allowed Magic players like Michael Carter Williams, Markelle Fultz, and Evan Fournier to quickly chip into the large cushion the Wizards created in the third quarter.

If there’s anyone to blame for this loss, it is head coach Scott Brooks. His decision to open the fourth quarter with a lineup of Jerome Robinson, Troy Brown Jr, Ish Smith, Deni Avdija, and Robin Lopez proved costly, and his decision to keep Bradley Beal, Thomas Bryant, and Raul Neto on the bench as the Magic quickly climbed back into the game was even more puzzling. Even as the Magic surged for 43 fourth-quarter points, Brooks kept Isaac Bonga, one of the team’s best defenders, on the bench for the entire quarter. Bonga was +20 in 18 minutes of action before the fourth quarter. It’s not like he was playing poorly.

By the time Bryant replace Lopez, the 17-point fourth-quarter lead had been chopped to six, and the Wizards weren’t able to regain their previous momentum in the closing stretch of the contest.

As made clear by the fourth quarter collapses in the first three regular-season contests, it is incumbent upon Scott Brooks to solidify the Wizards’ rotations, particularly in the second half of games. The Wizards will have an extremely tough time closing games, particularly against tough competition, if they’re unable to maintain any momentum in the fourth quarter with unsolidified and unsuccessful lineups.