Augustin hits 25 to start new year off right
WASHINGTON — D.J. Augustin led six players in double figures with a season-high 25 points as the Orlando Magic started the new year with a 122-101 win against the Washington Wizards Wednesday night at Capital One Arena.
Augustin added nine assists during a win that was overshadowed by forward Jonathan Isaac’s knee injury early in the contest.
Augustin set his previous season-high with 24 points in Washington when the teams met Dec. 3.
“D.J. seems to always have our number,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said.
After Wednesday’s performance, Augustin is averaging 14.9 points and 5.1 assists over his past nine games.
Nikola Vucevic posted his 14th double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. It also was the sixth time in the past seven games Vucevic has reached the 20-point mark.
Evan Fournier scored 18 points while Markelle Fultz recorded 16 points and eight assists in his second game this season in his hometown.
Terrence Ross finished with 15 points, getting 13 of those in the first half, and Wes Iwundu, starting in place of the injured Aaron Gordon, had 10 points for the Magic.
Orlando (15-19) improved to 3-0 this season against Washington and has averaged 124.7 points in those victories.
“That was a very good win for us,” Vucevic said. “They just beat Miami, played great against them.
They’re a very dangerous team. They can really score. With them the game is never really over.”
Bradley Beal, who was a gametime decision to play because of lower leg soreness, led the Wizards (10-23) with 27 points.
The Magic broke open a fivepoint game with a 9-0 run from 8:45 to 6:24 of the third quarter.
Vucevic made a layup, Iwundu sank a 10-foot floater, Fournier made a runner in the lane going to his left, and Fultz hit a 9-foot jumper in the lane before making a free throw. The Wizards were 0-of-6 from the field in that stretch.
The lead reached 90-74 at the 1:41 mark of the third after a dunk by Ross.
Mo Bamba sank a 3 — on a kickout pass from Augustin — before the two teamed up on the next Magic possession for a lob and layup that pushed the lead to 105-86 with 8:24 remaining.
The Magic limited the Wizards to 43 points in the second half and 18 points in the final quarter.
“That second half was about as well as we’ve played,” Clifford said. “It was good offense, good defense. I mean D.J. was phenomenal, [and] Vooch [was] really good that third quarter.”
The Magic led by as many as nine in the first half before settling for a four-point halftime lead as Vuvevic, Ross and Fournier combined to go 7-of-13 from the 3-point line. Orlando went 8-of-18 as a team in the half.
Still, the win was somewhat of a loss.
Isaac left the court on a stretcher after sustaining a hyperextended left knee barely two minutes into the game.
Isaac will undergo an MRI on Thursday in Orlando and be re-evaluated, according to a team spokesman.
Fortunately, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious as Isaac was able to bend his knee when he got back into the locker room.
“It was scary because to be honest, I think we got lucky. I was right there and the way it twisted, I thought I heard a pop and that’s bad,” Magic coach Steve Clifford said. “I believe we got lucky. I thought it was bad.”
Isaac made contact with Wizards guard Beal while trying to convert a steal into a layup. It was unclear if the two hit kneeto-knee, but Isaac immediately went to the floor and grabbed his left knee as he grimaced in pain. After a few minutes, Isaac sat up before he was taken off the court on a stretcher.
Isaac was replaced in the lineup by Amile Jefferson at the 9:57 mark and did not return.
Jefferson had just two free throws but finished with six rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.