The Washington Wizards defeated the Orlando Magic 105-98, despite a late rally by this scrappy Magic team.
John Wall led the way for the Wizards, scoring 30 points (10-21 FG) while dishing out 12 assists. Wall had as many steals as turnovers with two, making his night that much better. Marcin Gortat added 20 points (10-13 FG) and 12 rebounds, helping solidify the middle.
Washington was better than Orlando in just about every category tonight. What plagued the Wizards last night was rebounding and careless turnovers. They sharpened that up tonight, outrebounding Orlando 37-to-33 and committing only 12 turnovers as opposed to 18 by the Magic.
The Wizards were up three at the half thanks to a John Wall buzzer beater to end the second quarter. When the third quarter began, the Wizards wreaked havoc and built a 17-point cushion. Washington outscored Orlando 28-15 in the third quarter, which ended up being huge as the Magic played hard in the fourth quarter almost making a comeback.
Nikola Vucevic continues to be a double-double machine as he scored 23 points (11-21 FG) and grabbed 12 rebounds. Ben Gordon came off the bench and scored 22 points (7-12 FG), 11 came in the fourth quarter.
Orlando pulled within three points with 3:05 left in the game. The Wizards big acquisition Paul Pierce carried the offense down the stretch as he hit back-to-back mid-range jumpers to give Washington an enough cushion to come away with the victory. That was the reason the Wizards acquired “The Truth” to make big shots down the stretch in close games.
The Magic competed and showed some promise, but the Wizards overall talent and veteran presence carried them through to pick up their first win of the season.
Washington will travel home to play their home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night. Orlando will stay home to face the Toronto Raptors Saturday night as they look to win their first game of the season.