The Numbers Crunch: Breaking down the Wizards’ loss to the Magic

Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma as the team loses its 16th straight.The Washington Wizards’ franchise record-tying 16th consecutive loss followed a familiar pattern — a competitive first half (they dashed out to a lead that reached 21 points in the second quarter), a third-quarter collapse, and a final quarter bereft of offensive and defensive coherence.

Last night’s opponent, the Orlando Magic, were a tough, determined, physical bunch that kept grinding away until the less talented Wizards cracked. Such is life for a team built to be bad this season. When the game really matters to an opponent, they lose because the roster isn’t good enough to keep pace.

Think of it like this: if we were drafting…