Paolo Banchero matches season high with 37 points as Magic ease past Wizards 126-109

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) looks to pass the ball as Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero equaled a season high with 37 points, Desmond Bane scored 25 and the Orlando Magic eased to a 126-109 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Banchero went 15 of 21 from the field as Orlando shot 55.3% and dominated with its starters on the floor to end a two-game skid. The Magic are seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Jett Howard scored 12 points and Jalen Suggs, Jevon Carter and Moritz Wagner had 10 apiece for an Orlando team that was missing injured regulars Anthony Black (quad), Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) and Franz Wagner (ankle).

Rookie Will Riley scored 19 points and Jaden Hardy added 18 for the Wizards, who had nine healthy players available and lost their sixth straight.

Angel Reese of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky was in attendance to watch her brother, Washington’s Juju Reese, make his second career start. The 6-foot-9 rookie out of Maryland had nine points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes.

The Wizards led briefly in the second quarter and kept it within single digits until early in the third, when a layup by Suggs put the Magic ahead 66-56. Orlando led by double digits the rest of the way and pushed its advantage to 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Up next

Wizards: Host Utah on Thursday.

Magic: Host Dallas on Thursday.

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