Orlando Magic Blow Out Washington Wizards in 126-109 Final to Snap Two-Game Skid
After dropping their previous two games, the Orlando Magic were able to get back on track as they used a stellar second-half offensive performance to ride to an easy win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Paolo Banchero Leads the Way on Offense in Win
It seems the mantra for the Magic on offense in tonight’s game was to find All-Star Paolo Banchero and let him go to work, and that approach paid off well in the win. Banchero would drop a game-high 37 points on a highly efficient 15 for 21 shooting from the field, while also grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists in a great all-around performance. The former Rookie of the Year has been on a tear over his past six games, as Banchero is averaging over 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists during this hot streak.
The Magic could do no wrong on offense throughout tonight’s game, as they shot over 55% from the field in the win. Orlando would also live at the free-throw line, as they knocked down 32 of their 37 attempts from the charity stripe. That free-throw disparity would be one of the main factors in the Magic’s win, as they doubled up the Wizards in that department. The Magic would also play team ball at a high-level, as they notched 33 total assists in the win.
While Banchero served as the engine that drove the Magic’s offense in the win, the play of star guard Desmond Bane also provided a great secondary scoring outlet for Orlando tonight. Bane would score 25 points on 70% shooting from the field, as he continues to step up his game on offense for the Magic. The former Memphis Grizzly averaged a solid 25 points on a scorching 59% shooting from the field and 49% from three in February.
Wizards Offense Plays Well with Trae Young’s Debut Imminent
Although the result of the game isn’t unsurprising for a Wizards team that doesn’t have much to play for in another lost season, it does mark the final game before Trae Young finally suits up for Washington on Thursday. The recently acquired four-time All-Star has been dealing with a knee injury that has sidelined him since December 28, when he was still a member of the Atlanta Hawks.
As Young readies to make his debut, he’ll have plenty to work with if tonight’s performance by the Wizards’ current core is anything to go by. Washington saw a strong performance from a wide variety of players, as 5 players finished in double digits in the loss. The best performance out of those 5 came from Will Riley, who continues to look like a diamond in the rough for the Wizards. Riley finished with a team-high 19 points on a very efficient 61% shooting from the floor.
Riley also received great secondary support from Jaden Hardy, who has been on fire since being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team trade on February 11. Hardy finished with 18 points in just 22 minutes of playing time in the game. Hardy has been a certified bucket-getter in a Wizards uniform so far, as he’s averaging 13 points per game while shooting 44% from deep in his 7 games with Washington this season.
Magic Prevents Sliding Further Down the East Standings
After snapping a two-game skid that saw them slide from 5th in the East, all the way down to the 7th-place position, the Magic can take a sigh of relief after getting back into the win column. Much of that relief isn’t so much due to stopping their tumbling down the East standings, as it is the fact that, despite their fall, Orlando is still within striking distance of the top 5 seed line.
This win now puts the Magic exactly one game back of the Philadelphia 76ers for the 6th-place spot at the moment. The middle of the standings in the Eastern Conference is as jam-packed as it’s ever been, with only 5 games separating the 4th-place and 8th-place positions in the conference. If the Magic can string together some wins over the next month, their odds of finishing within the top 4 in the East could be a foregone conclusion.
