The Orlando Magic snapped a six-game losing streak Thursday, barely getting by the lowly Sacramento Kings. They started a new losing streak Sunday with an embarrassing 139-87 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
A rough fortnight for the Magic hit a new low when the Raptors scored 31 straight points against them in the first two quarters. The Magic went scoreless for nearly nine minutes. When they finally did, they were down 25 points and facing big questions about their playoff future.
Magic’s vaunted defense is falling apart
The Magic’s success in the last three seasons has been based on their elite defense. They had the second-best defensive rating in the NBA the last two seasons, but in the last two weeks, the team has had the fifth-worst defense in the league.
They’ve given up 130 points or more three times during this 1-7 streak. On Sunday, the Raptors were missing two of their top four scorers and still hung 139 points on the Magic. Their starting five shot 30-of-48 from the field and combined for 31 assists, with Scottie Barnes delivering 15 and Jamal Shead handing out 10 dimes.
Still, it was the Magic’s offense that was worse on Sunday. They committed 27 turnovers against 20 assists, and shot 9-of-38 from three-point range. Paolo Banchero had scored 30 or more points in three straight games, but put up only nine against the Raptors with five turnovers.
