Orlando Magic (37-28) beat Washington Wizards (16-49) 136-131 at home on Thursday, March 12 in overtime.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Magic had the better start, winning the first 36-26 to lead by 10 after one. The Wizards cut into the deficit with a 30-27 second quarter, though the Magic still led by 7 at halftime.
The Magic won the third 33-25 to create some separation, taking a 15-point lead into the fourth. The Wizards answered with a 42-27 fourth quarter, forcing overtime at 123.
The Magic finally separated the teams in overtime, winning it 13-8 to close out a 136-131 victory.
What decided it
The Magic made 27 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 20 for the Wizards. The Magic took better care of the ball, turning it over on 11.1% of possessions compared with 12.9% for the Wizards. In a 5-point game, the points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
At roughly 117 possessions per team, the Magic produced 116.5 points per 100 possessions to 112.2 for the Wizards.
The Wizards' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 54-23.
Who stepped up
Jalen Suggs was the game's biggest individual force for ORL: 28 pts, 4 reb, 8 ast on 10-17 shooting. His Game Score of 25.1 led everyone. His team was +6 with him on the floor.
Bilal Coulibaly led the Wizards with 29 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast on 9-21 shooting, good for a 20.4 Game Score.
Paolo Banchero (18 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast), Wendell Carter Jr. (19 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast), and Tristan Vukcevic (11 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Magic about a 91% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Orlando Magic lead 6-1.
The Magic are now 37-28, and the Wizards are 16-49. The Magic last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.