Magic Holds Off Wizards to Keep Play-In Hopes Alive

The Washington Wizards came to town Tuesday night looking for a bounce back win, but the Orlando Magic denied them of that.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 21, 2023

Magic Holds Off Wizards to Keep Play-In Hopes Alive /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is back to its winning ways after a 122-112 victory over the Washington Wizards at home on Tuesday night.

The game stayed incredibly tight throughout as the Magic and Wizards never held a lead larger than eight until the final moments of the game.

Washington held a four-point lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but Orlando popped off on a 10-0 run to go ahead for good.

Once again, the Magic stuck true to its brand and contributed by committee. All five starters finished in double figures with a team-high 22 from Gary Harris. Cole Anthony and Moe Wagner also had big offensive nights off the bench as the pair combined for 31 points.

For the Wizards, Kristaps Porzingis led all scorers with 30 points.

The win tonight keeps the Magic in the hunt for the final play-in spot and hurts the Wizards' chances further. Washington is in a tie for 11th place in the East with the Indiana Pacers, sitting 2.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls while Orlando is in 13th, five games behind.

The Magic's three-game homestand continues Thursday when Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks come to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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Published Mar 21, 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.