Anthony Black Career-High Leads Magic Past Wizards

Orlando Magic rookie Anthony Black had the best game of his career, helping his team beat the Washington Wizards.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 26, 2023

Anthony Black Career-High Leads Magic Past Wizards /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is starting a win streak after beating the Washington Wizards 127-119 on Tuesday Night at the Capital One Arena.

Games earlier in the season between the two teams were all about scoring without much defense ... and tonight was no exception.

The Magic and Wizards kept pace in the first half, as each team scored more than 60 points. Orlando broke away in the third quarter, taking a lead that grew to double digits.

The Magic led by as much as 17 in the fourth quarter, but the Wizards stuck around until the game's final minutes. However, Orlando had too much offense and pulled out a win.

Tonight's headliner is No. 6 overall pick Anthony Black, who scored a career-high 23 points in the win. Black shot 9 of 13 from the field, including 4 three-pointers. Considering the fact that Black came into the game averaging 5.1 points and scored in double figures in just three games before tonight, this is without a doubt the best performance the former Arkansas Razorback has put together.

Black wasn't alone, as Franz Wagner led the team in scoring with 28 and Paolo Banchero added 24 of his own.

For the Wizards, Jordan Poole was Washington's top scorer, dropping a game-high 30. Tyus Jones scored 22 alongside him in the backcourt.

BREAKING: Joel Embiid OUT vs. Magic

The Magic can celebrate, but not for long. Orlando is back in action tomorrow night against the Philadelphia 76ers, who will be without Joel Embiid due to an ankle sprain. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from the Kia Center.

Published Dec 26, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.