The Magic endured the longest unanswered scoring run in NBA history and the franchise's most lopsided loss in a single night on Sunday vs. the Raptors.
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley takes full responsibility for his team's historically devastating loss on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors.
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Mosley admitted that he didn't prepare enough for the Magic against the Raptors, as they ultimately endured a humiliating 139-87 road loss.
"I got to do a better job preparing them for what they were going to see tonight. We talked a little bit about it, but not enough. I’ve got to have them prepared for the physicality of the game, how much they were going to grab and get us off our spots," Mosley told reporters.
"That’s on me. I’ve got to do a better job with this group to make sure they’re prepared the right way, knowing the sense of urgency that Toronto was going to play with, especially with guys out and their playoff positioning."
Facing a Raptors team without their franchise star Brandon Ingram and starting point guard Immanuel Quickley, Mosley and the Magic opted to absorb an unreal defeat this weekend.
They primarily allowed the Raptors to unleash a 31-0 run in the first half, which set the record for the NBA's longest unanswered run since play-by-play was tracked in 1996-97.
As such, their 52-point loss is now the largest loss in the franchise's history, surpassing their 47-point brutal defeat in 2017 against the Chicago Bulls.
With eight games left in their regular season, the Magic couldn't ask for a much horrific loss. In the wake of a tight seeding battle to avoid the Play-In with the Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat, they remained stuck in the East's 8th spot with a 39-35 record.
"I’ve got to do a better job with this group, putting them in position to know exactly what they’re going to face on a night-to-night basis, especially with the last eight games coming down the stretch," Mosley said.
"As a group, we’ll look at it, talk about it, practice it, and make sure we get the job done, knowing we’ll see similar games down the stretch."
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