ORLANDO, Fla. — The Washington Wizards hadn’t held an opponent under nine points in a quarter since February 2017, nor had they held opponents under 100 points in consecutive games since January 2023. They did both in Monday’s 103-94 win over the Orlando Magic.
Brian Keefe has his group defending at an elite level. They’ve jumped 23 spots to seventh in defensive rating and 26 spots to fourth in points allowed per game.
Monday’s win marked another milestone in an impressive seven-game start for last season’s worst defensive team.
“I thought we really upped our physicality — contested shots, flying around, finishing possessions,” Keefe said. “I thought they made some tough shots in the first quarter. I thought our defense got way better in the second. We talked about a couple of things. The physicality — we wanted to try to take them out of some of the things they were having success with. Our guys were able to execute that in the third quarter, and then we just limited them to one shot.”
Washington’s defense struggled in the first quarter. Orlando scored 33 points on 65% from the field and 54.5% from three. Then came Keefe’s adjustments.
The Wizards upped their physicality in the second quarter to hold the Magic to 26 points. It started with Bub Carrington’s relentless effort to draw a charge on Franz Wagner and force a shot-clock violation. Those minutes, plus a Trae Young offensive barrage and several Anthony Davis steals, turned Washington’s nine-point deficit into a halftime lead.
“[Bub] has been terrific all year,” Keefe said. “He picks up full court. He pressures the ball. That really initiates the start of our defense. He made them get into the shot clock, and then he made some great plays.”
