Orlando needed a statement game. They found a leader. In a calm Kia Center, the Magic steamrolled the Washington Wizards 126-109 behind a Paolo Banchero on fire.
37 points. 15 of 21 from the floor. Cold-blooded.
Banchero hits hard, Orlando strolls
Banchero matched his season high without flapping. Strong post-ups, brutal drives, calm mid-range shots. Every time Washington threatened, he shut it down.
Paolo Banchero 37 PTS, 5 REBS, 6 ASTS, 6/7 FT, 77% TS on 15/21 FG vs Wizards https://t.co/HU4XAxTa0Y pic.twitter.com/uQJUSzOLPU
— NBA Performances (@NBARewinds) March 4, 2026
Beside him, Desmond Bane dropped 25. Jett Howard chipped in 12. Jalen Suggs, Jevon Carter and Moritz Wagner added 10 apiece. Orlando shot 55.3% and snapped a two-game skid.
Missing Anthony Black, Wendell Carter Jr. and Franz Wagner didn’t break the group. The Magic sit 7th in the East.
Washington ran out of steam, Juju Reese watched by Angel
The Wizards ran a thin rotation. Nine players active. That’s a sixth straight loss.
Rookie Will Riley scored 19, Jaden Hardy had 18. Juju Reese put up 9 and grabbed 8 rebounds in his second career start, watched from the stands by his sister Angel Reese.
Washington briefly led in the second quarter. Then Orlando tightened the screws. A Suggs lay-up pushed it to 66-56 and the gap never fell below ten again. The Magic ran it up to +25 in the final period.
A message sent to the East
Orlando needed to stop the bleeding. They did it, and they did it with authority.
Next up: Magic at Dallas. Wizards head to Utah.
When Banchero is this efficient, Orlando looks like a team that can bother clubs well above seventh. In the East, that’s a big deal.
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