76ers-Magic Preview

By MATT BECKER

(AP) -- After pinning their latest loss on a listless start, the Orlando Magic acknowledged they must come out with more energy.

Despite their struggles, the Magic seemingly shouldn't have much trouble starting fast Sunday night against a Philadelphia 76ers team that routinely lets teams impose their will in the opening minutes.

Orlando (10-19) was never able to recover from a miserable first quarter Friday against Utah and ended up losing 101-94, its fifth defeat in six games. The Jazz shot 70.0 percent in the opening quarter to the Magic's 37.5 and took a 15-point lead less than two minutes into the second period. Utah bullied Orlando early, scoring 14 of its 29 first-quarter points in the paint.

"We have to be the ones who hit first," Magic center Nikola Vucevic said. "We've got to put this one behind us, go back (Saturday) at practice and work on what we did wrong. That's the only thing we can do. The next game we have to come out from the beginning more aggressive and be the aggressors."

Starting quickly certainly seems possible against the lowly 76ers (2-23), who are allowing an Eastern Conference-worst 27.4 points in the first quarter.

Philadelphia couldn't slow down a Charlotte team that came into Friday's game having lost 14 of 16, yielding 37 first-quarter points en route to a 109-91 defeat.

"I thought the start of the game influenced the rest of it," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "They scored freely. Some of it, we give them credit. Some of it is on us."

The 76ers didn't help their situation by continuing to shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers. They had 25 on Friday and have had at least 23 in three of the last four games.

The defeat dropped the 76ers to 0-14 at home, but they won't play in Philadelphia again until 2015 as Disney on Ice pulls up residency at the Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers, who play their next seven on the road, have lost six straight and 12 of 13 in Orlando.

The Magic won this season's only meeting 91-89 on Nov. 5 as Tobias Harris sank a jumper at the buzzer. Orlando has won three straight and six of seven in the series.

Harris stayed hot Friday, making 10 of 18 shots to finish with a game-high 24 points. He is shooting 54.8 percent in his last three games.

Victor Oladipo had the hot hand for Orlando earlier in the week but suddenly can't find his shot. He has totaled nine points on 4-of-18 shooting in the last two games after averaging 16.0 points on 57.6 percent shooting - including 6 of 8 3-pointers - in his previous three.

Oladipo was sidelined for this season's first meeting with the 76ers but averaged 17.5 points against them in 2013-14 - his second-highest career mark against an East club.

Philadelphia's Tony Wroten bounced back Friday with 19 points and matched a season high with four 3-pointers after going scoreless in 30 minutes in Monday's 105-87 loss to Boston. Wroten also made four 3s against the Magic, finishing with 27 points.