The Lead
Paolo Banchero filled up the stat sheet with 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, Markelle Fultz scored 25 and Franz Wagner had 20, as the Orlando Magic overcame a 16-point deficit and 11 to start the fourth quarter to defeat the Washington Wizards 116-109 on Friday at Capital One Arena.
Clutch Moments
Cole Anthony, who finished with 16 points, drilled three straight jumpers midway through the fourth quarter, including one from 3-point range that put Orlando in front. Franz Wagner followed with a driving layup and Fultz knocked down a mid-range jumper with 3:51 left. The Wizards missed six straight floor shots before Corey Kispert hit one of his nine threes with 38 seconds left. Orlando made five free throws in the final minute.
Key Stretch
The Magic opened the fourth quarter with 11 unanswered points to tie the game at 96. Jalen Suggs scored six of those points, including four from the free throw line, and Franz Wagner had the other five.
Interesting Fact
Banchero now has six of the 28 all-time 30-plus-point games by a Magic rookie. Only Shaquille O’Neal had more with 10 of them. Dennis Scott, recently inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame, had five such performances as a rookie.
Key Stats
Orlando outscored Washington 58-42 in the paint and they attempted 14 more free throws. The Magic also had 14 blocks, their most since Nov. 3, 2010 when they accumulated 15 of them against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Injury Report
Kevon Harris (left elbow bruise) and Jonathan Isaac (left adductor surgery) were out for Orlando. Kristaps Porzingis (non-COVID illness), Bradley Beal (left knee soreness) and Kyle Kuzma (right ankle sprain) were unavailable for the Wizards.
Quote of the Day
“With all due respect, I don’t necessarily think it’s even a race. The kid has done a great job of impacting winning; three times winning Rookie of the Month (so far); being able to create a different style of play throughout the entire year – going from where he’s handling the ball the majority of the year to when our guards came back, he adjusted to that; being able to keep everybody involved; going through what they say is a slow portion of the year and then bouncing back right back – I think that level of resilience, that level of toughness; and then obviously talking about putting up historic numbers for what he’s done; but the biggest thing for us is his ability to impact winning – plus-10 from last year.” – Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley on why Banchero deserves to win the Rookie of the Year award
This Day in History
One of the Magic’s most impressive regular season wins in 1994-95 took place on March 31 when they beat the Jazz in Salt Lake City. Shaquille O’Neal posted 28 points and 11 rebounds and Penny Hardaway scored 21. Karl Malone led Utah with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while John Stockton had 20 points and 11 assists.
Rivals Report
The Wizards have been Jekyll-and-Hyde all season. They had a stretch in November in which they won six of seven. They also won six out of seven in late December and then 12 of 19 shortly before the All-Star break. But they’ve also had some brutal stretches, like when they lost 10 straight in late November/early December. They have now lost 11 of their last 15 games.
Up Next
A three-game Magic homestand starts Sunday at 6 p.m. against the Detroit Pistons. Orlando won the most recent meeting on Feb. 23 at Amway Center in a thriller. After Jaden Ivey tied the game for the Pistons with a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left, Wendell Carter Jr. followed up a Banchero miss with a game-winning tip-in at the buzzer. Franz Wagner led the Magic with 21 points, while Ivey paced the Pistons with 25 points.
