Magic’s Record-Setting Blowout Loss puts Jamahl Mosley’s Job in Question

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The Orlando Magic’s 52-point loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday marked the worst scoring margin in franchise history.

The Orlando Magic have gone through their worst stretch of games this season after losing to the Toronto Raptors, 139-87, on Sunday. This 52-point margin was the worst in franchise history. Toronto’s 31-0 run over Orlando during the game was the largest unanswered stretch in the NBA’s play-by-play era.

There’s a lot that has gone wrong for the Magic. For one, they have lost seven of their last eight games. And for two, Orlando’s playing their worst basketball at the worst time of the regular season.

Jamahl Mosley Blames Himself for Magic’s Collapse

A sense of panic has begun to fill the Orlando Magic organization. Paolo Banchero’s three-straight 30-point games were enough for the team to break its six-game losing streak in a win over the Sacramento Kings on March 26.

However, when all things are going badly, head coach Jamahl Mosley blamed nobody but himself after the embarrassing loss on Sunday.

“We’ve got to have them prepared for the physicality of the game, prepared for how much they were going to grab, hold, and get them off their spots. That’s on me,” the Magic head coach said. “I’ve got to be able to do a better job of preparing them for what they were going to see tonight. We talked a little bit about it, but probably not enough.”

Orlando’s ugly display of basketball began as early as the first quarter on Sunday, committing 12 turnovers in the first intermission. This resulted in an 18-point deficit that slowly got worse as the game went on. The Magic finished with 28 turnovers, which would result in 37 points scored by the Raptors.

Orlando led, 13-6, with eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. This was the first and only sense of success the Magic would have for the rest of the game.

“You get hit in the mouth by 56 points, you understand exactly what you need to do. You’re not as bad as you think you are in your losses, and you’re not as great as you think you are in your wins,” Mosley added in a postgame interview. “We’ve got to make sure we get on the right mentality coming down to these last eight games.”

Magic Slip in Eastern Conference Standings

A playoff spot in the Eastern Conference appeared far more secure just weeks ago for the Magic. Orlando held the No. 5 seed and sat 10 games above .500 before a season-worst six-game losing streak shifted its momentum. The Magic have since fallen to the No. 8 seed and into the Play-In Tournament.

Orlando is currently 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final playoff spot in the East.

There’s still a chance for the Magic to get back into the mix. Seeds 5-10 in the East are separated by just 3.5 games as of Monday. A sense of urgency has filled the organization. Meanwhile, Jamahl Mosley’s job status should be getting monitored down the stretch.

Orlando’s new week of basketball will be split between being at home and on the road. The Magic play a back-to-back against the Phoenix Suns and Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then will travel for matchups against the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans to finish out the week on Friday and Sunday.

Toran Flores is a sports reporter located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He’s covered news in the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. His work has been featured on platforms like FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Lakers All Day Everyday, and others.

In his free time, Toran enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. More about Toran Flores