March 3, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (7) tries to defend Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the first half at the Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images Paolo Banchero scored 37 points as the Orlando Magic defeated the visiting Washington Wizards 126-109 on Tuesday.
Banchero hit 15 of 21 from the floor and had six assists as Orlando snapped a two-game home skid.
Desmond Bane finished with 25, shooting 7 of 10 from the field and 8 of 8 from the foul line.
Will Riley scored 19 points for the Wizards, who have lost their sixth straight game.
Jaden Hardy added 18 points off the bench and Sharif Cooper had 16 after shaking off a left knee scare when colliding with Goga Bitadze in the second quarter.
Banchero had 13 points in the opening frame and was the biggest beneficiary of the Magic’s poor ball handling by Washington, with the Wizards forcing five turnovers in the quarter to lose 11 points.
Orlando took an early 19-7 lead, and Washington went back to 27-24 at the end of the period with two free throws from Cooper, who was recklessly fouled by Jace Richardson while attempting a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left in the second half.
Hardy drained a trey with 10:15 remaining in the second frame to put the Wizards in front for the first time. He had a team-high 13 points at halftime. The Magic quickly retook the lead at 57-54 at the main break.
Banchero scored 18 points in the first half, and Bain, who went scoreless in the first period without attempting a shot, scored 14 points in the second quarter. Orlando started the third quarter on a 12-2 run and was in complete control.
The Magic, who added 13 points in the period and made 1 of 13 3-pointers in the first half, hit all five of their attempts from deep in the third. The Magic dominated the quarter 40-27 to take a 97-81 lead with one game remaining.
Jevon Carter hit two 3-pointers and Bane hit another to start the fourth frame as the gap grew to 106-81.
–Field level media
