Wizards pull away from Magic for 120-112 victory

Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel on Jan 6, 2026

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After the Magic gave up 127 points in an eight-point victory over the Pacers on Sunday at Kia Center, coach Jamahl Mosley made it clear his team needed to be better on defense when it hit the road this week.

Orlando, however, lacked urgency, intensity and intentionality on both ends of the court throughout most of the night Tuesday against the Wizards at Capital One Arena.

That was until Mosley shifted to a younger group on the floor, which included Jase Richardson (20 points), Jett Howard (10) and Noah Penda (10), in search of a spark in the second half.

After Washington led by as many as 26 points late in the third quarter, the Magic stormed back and used a 42-18 run to cut their deficit to two points with five minutes left in the game.

Orlando’s comeback effort fell short, however, as the Wizards pulled away for a 120-112 victory behind 27 points from CJ McCollum and 23 from Alex Sarr.

Still without Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Jalen Suggs (right knee Grade 1 MCL contusion), the Magic saw an 11-game win streak against the Wizards (10-25) that stretched back to March 2023 come to an end.

The Magic (20-17) have a quick turnaround when they travel to Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

Starting 5

Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva remained in the starting lineup alongside Wendell Carter Jr., Desmond Bane and Paolo Banchero.

After scoring 15-plus points in each of past 10 games, Black struggled mightily on offense, scoring just six points while missing all five of his 3-point attempts and shooting 3 for 10 from the floor.

Da Silva hit his first three triples of the night and ended with 13 points in 22 minutes. Bane (15 points) and Banchero (14) each had four turnovers.

Mosley pulled his starters with four and a half minutes left in the third quarter and the Magic trailing by 26 points.

Turnovers and takeaways

The Magic entered the game averaging 13.7 turnovers, the fourth fewest in the league.

They had 11 in the first half.

And Washington isn’t known for its defense either. The Wizards headed into the contest forcing 12.5 turnovers per game, the second fewest in the league.

Free points

The Magic sent the Wizards to the free-throw line plenty Tuesday night.

Washington entered the game 27th in free-throw attempts (21.8) and 26th in free-throw percentage (76.1%).

Against Orlando, the Wizards shot 31 for 33, marking a season high in makes from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, the Magic missed eight free throws, shooting 16 for 24 at the line.