March 3, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic’s guard Jevon Carter (2) attempts a shot while Washington Wizards’ forward Justin Champagne (9) plays defense in the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images After being trampled by Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat, the Washington Wizards will now turn their attention to another high-scoring forward, Paolo Banchero, when they visit the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.
The game pits an Orlando team that has won five straight and is fifth in the Eastern Conference standings against a Washington club that is locked in a battle for the worst record in the league.
The Wizards added to their misery Tuesday night when they made national headlines by allowing Adebayo to score the second-most points in an NBA game. Washington sent the Miami big man to the free throw line 43 times to watch him score 83 points in the Heat’s 150-29 home win.
Excessive fouls have often been a problem for the Wizards this season. They rank third in the NBA in foul shots allowed, averaging 26.9 per game, narrowly behind the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz.
But anyway, on one night, Wizards coach Brian Keefe didn’t think his team’s defense necessarily deserved the dominance of the whistle.
“We had a lot of fouls, 16 free throws (for Adebayo) in the fourth quarter,” he noted in his postgame press conference. “We tried to get the ball out of his hands. He got a couple free throws 40 feet from the rim. I can’t explain some of those calls.”
The Wizards gave Trae Young a night of rest in Miami after returning from a long absence in losses to Utah and New Orleans, where he played 19 and 18 minutes, respectively. In his first two games in Washington, he totaled 29 points and 14 assists in 37 minutes.
Young has been sidelined since December 27 due to knee and quad injuries. He is expected to play against the Magic.
This isn’t the first time the Magic have seen Young this season. The All-Star, then playing for the Atlanta Hawks, scored 25 points in a 111-107 win in Orlando in October.
The Magic have won two of three games against the Wizards this season. The two clubs met in Orlando on March 3, and the Magic used 32 free throw points on 37 attempts to secure a 126-109 win.
Banchero had 37 points in the win. It was the first of his two 30-point games this month. He scored 33 points in a 130-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
Desmond Bane has scored 25 points three times in offensive highlights during Orlando’s winning streak, including 35 points in Wednesday night’s 128-122 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Magic coach Jamal Mosley said Wednesday night that his team has a secret weapon. This is the Kia Center home crowd.
“There are many ways to win the game and we are constantly looking for those ways,” Mosley told the media after the game. “The games will look different, but we will take it one game at a time.
“The goal (Wednesday) was to play this game well and do well at home. Our fans have been fantastic. People standing up and cheering the defense and getting our guys going. The energy in this building is incredible. That’s a big part of what this game means to us.”
– Field level media
