Orlando Magic (32-28) beat Washington Wizards (16-45) 126-109 at home on Tuesday, March 3, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Magic had the better start, winning the first 27-24 to lead by 3 after one. The teams matched each other with 30 points apiece in the second quarter; the Magic still led by 3 at halftime.
The Magic won the third 40-27 to create some separation, taking a 16-point lead into the fourth. The Magic took the fourth 29-28; the Magic finished the job for a 126-109 regulation win.
What decided it
The Magic made 42.1 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 17.4 for the Wizards. The Magic got more from their shots, finishing at 61.8% effective field-goal shooting compared with 50.5% for the Wizards. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
The Wizards did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 27.1% against 9.4%. The Magic made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 100 possessions per team, the Magic produced 126.5 points per 100 possessions to 109.4 for the Wizards.
The Wizards' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 56-36.
Who made the difference
Paolo Banchero was the game's biggest individual force for ORL: 37 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast on 15-21 shooting. His Game Score of 30.8 led everyone. His team was +26 with him on the floor.
Will Riley led the Wizards with 19 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast on 8-13 shooting, good for a 16.5 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Magic about a 85% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Orlando Magic lead 5-1.
The Magic are now 32-28, and the Wizards are 16-45. The Magic last five before this game: L-W-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.