Magic Score: Orlando Falls 103-94 to Washington After a Nine-Point Third Quarter at the Kia Center
The Orlando Magic led by nine early, trailed by one at halftime and then scored nine points in the third quarter — and the Washington Wizards' 103-94 win dropped Orlando to 2-5 and 0-4 at home, behind Anthony Davis's 27 points and 22 from Kyshawn George.
The game turned in twelve minutes. The Orlando Magic lost 103-94 to the Washington Wizards on Monday night at the Kia Center — Washington's win, built on a third quarter in which Orlando scored nine points. Anthony Davis scored 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting with 9 rebounds, Kyshawn George added 22 and rookie AJ Dybantsa had 21, and Washington improved to 4-3 while Orlando fell to 2-5 and 0-4 at home.
Orlando started like the home team should. The Magic led 33-28 after one quarter and pushed the lead to 37-28 early in the second, only for Trae Young — who scored 10 of Washington's next 13 points and finished with 15 points and 9 assists — to pull the Wizards back in front, 60-59, by halftime. Then came the third: Davis hit a pull-up jumper and a layup, George hit a three, and Washington closed the quarter on an 8-0 run to lead 79-68, outscoring Orlando 19-9 in the period.
The Magic made one more push. Tristan da Silva hit a three and Desmond Bane hit two more early in the fourth — Bane's second, with 7:57 left, cut it to 83-79 — and Franz Wagner's driving layup and free throw made it 85-82. Washington answered with George and Dybantsa jumpers, a Davis pull-up and two Bilal Coulibaly alley-oop dunks, the second of them making it 101-90 with 1:06 to play. Wagner led Orlando with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting and 6 assists, Bane had 20 with four threes, and Jamal Cain scored 10; Washington won the fast break 21-9, forced 18 Magic turnovers and had 10 steals to Orlando's 6, while the Magic made only 11 of 39 threes.
Orlando did it short-handed — Paolo Banchero (ankle), Jalen Suggs (knee), Jonathan Isaac (knee), Noah Penda (hamstring) and Anthony Black (rest) all sat — but the home record is now the story: four home games, four losses. The Magic's next chance to fix it comes on the road, at the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
