Evan Fournier
Late run dooms Magic in road loss to Wizards
Evan Fournier

Late run dooms Magic in road loss to Wizards

Published Nov. 14, 2015 9:41 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Before this season, Kris Humphries had gone more than a decade since making a 3-pointer. He hit two in his 2004-05 rookie season, and none after that.

Before this season, Washington Wizards coach Randy Wittman wanted the now 30-year-old Humphries to re-invent himself -- and he has.

Humphries hit a career-high five 3-pointers and led the Wizards with 23 points in their 108-99 win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night to end a three-game losing streak.

Humphries was 5 for 8 from the 3-point line and hit one with 4:45 remaining as part of an 8-0 Wizards run for a 94-90 lead.

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"You don't expect to come out and do that every night. You've got to work through it when it's not working out for you and enjoy it when it's going for you," Humphries said. "It's been different this year, being on the perimeter this much. I don't think I've completely made the transition yet."

Wittman joked that before the season, reporters told him Humphries was the team's best scorer.

"He shot with confidence," Wittman said. "He didn't turn them down."

Orlando has lost 10 straight to Washington. It was led by Nikola Vucevic's 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Evan Fournier had 18 points.

"They're better than we are," Magic coach Scott Skiles said. "I mean they don't win as many games against us over and over and over again and not be better than us. But we should be the ones flying down the floor in the third quarter instead of them doing it to us."

Garrett Temple started in place of injured Bradley Beal and equaled a career high with 18 points and played 31 minutes. Before this game, Temple played just 35 minutes all season.

John Wall had 15 points and 11 assists for the Wizards.

GORTAT'S REVENGE

After a loss Tuesday night to Oklahoma City, Wittman sniped at Marcin Gortat, who had just one defensive rebound in 27 minutes.

Before the game, he predicted Gortat would bounce back, and Gortat did with 10 rebounds and 13 points. Gortat said this week that he didn't appreciate the public criticism.

After the game, he was asked if the past few days had been difficult.

"Clever question," Gortat said. "It was actually a good week. My check came in."

DIFFICULT TIME

Fournier, a French native, has played the last two nights despite thinking about the tragedy back home.

"Very impressed with him," Orlando guard Elfrid Payton said. "Going through something like (that) has to be tough on him but I'm glad that he was able to be here for us, help us out and we're just trying to be there for him."

DEFENSE

After allowing an average of 119 points in its three losses, Washington allowed 99. Wittman wants them thinking defense.

"I don't want them thinking anything from an offensive standpoint," he said.

TIP-INS

Magic: Skiles and Wittman played on the Indiana Pacers in 1988-89. They both grew up in Indiana.

Wizards: Washington played its eighth game -- tied for fewest in the league. "They've had a lot of rest, not typically a good formula for the other team," Skiles said. Wittman didn't want to attribute his team's inconsistent performance to playing sparingly.

HURTING

Orlando played without G Victor Oladipo for the second game. He's out due to a concussion, and there's no timetable for his return. F-C Jason Smith missed his fourth game with a sore left knee. ... Beal missed his second straight game with a sore left shoulder.

UP NEXT

Orlando hosts Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Washington hosts Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

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