Magic Second Half Surge Leads to Comeback Win vs. Wizards

The Washington Wizards started off in front, but the Orlando Magic was the better team in the second half, leading to another win.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 6, 2024

In this story:

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic are still in the win column after a 119-109 victory against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at Capital One Arena.

The Magic started off cold, surrendering a double-digit lead to the Wizards in the first quarter. However, the Magic stayed within striking distance and began chipping away.

Despite trailing by 12 points at halftime, the Magic came into the second half with a resurgence and took a lead by the end of the third quarter.

Jordan Poole Jalen Suggs Wizards — Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Wizards couldn't come back in the fourth as the Magic continued to bring the heat, resulting in a double-digit victory in Orlando's favor.

Leading the charge in the second half was Franz Wagner, who scored a game-high 28 points. His frontcourt partner Paolo Banchero was right behind him with 25 points of his own. The Wizards were led by Jordan Poole, who scored 26 off the bench.

The Magic's win gives them sole possession of fourth place in the Eastern Conference after their fifth straight victory. It's the longest win streak for Orlando since they won nine in a row in November and early December.

Magic 'Locked Into Winning', Says Fultz

The Magic returns to the court on Friday at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Published Mar 6, 2024

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.