Davis stars as Wizards pull away from Magic in third quarter to win 103-94

Washington beat Orlando 103-94 on Monday 2 November 2026 at the Kia Center, in front of 19,240 spectators. The game, scheduled for the night of 3 November at 1:30 Brazzaville time, turned after the break. The Magic led 33-28 after one quarter, then finished 9 points behind. Anthony Davis led the way for the Wizards: 27 points on 12 of 17 shooting, 9 rebounds and 4 steals in 34 minutes.

With this win, Washington moves to 4-3 and 6th place in the Eastern Conference. Orlando are 2-5, 11th. Reports around the game had this down as a fourth straight defeat for the Magic, who were coming off a loss at Boston on Sunday. That made things tougher for Orlando, who were on what was billed as the second night of a back-to-back. Anthony Black was reported to have been rested as a precaution. Paolo Banchero, listed as out for the Magic with an ankle injury, was set to miss a fifth straight game, and Jalen Suggs, listed as out with a knee injury, a fourth. Jonathan Isaac, Izaiyah Nelson and Noah Penda were also listed as out for the Magic in the injury report. For the Wizards, Alex Sarr was listed as out with a knee injury; Tristan Vukcevic, Jamir Watkins, Justin Champagnie and Reece Beekman were also listed as out for Washington. The injury information was still provisional.

Orlando take the lead, Washington stay in touch

The first quarter initially put Orlando in front. The Magic led 18-16 with 6:15 left in the period then closed the first twelve minutes at 33-28. The start of the second quarter extended that push: a 13-0 run, from 24-28 to 37-28, gave Orlando their biggest lead of the night, 9 points. Washington answered with an 8-0 run to get back to 37-36. That spell brought the Wizards back within one possession. The game featured eleven lead changes, a sign of genuine balance before the game broke open in the third quarter.

With 6:43 left before the break, Orlando held only a one-point lead, 46-45. The two teams then went to the locker rooms with the narrowest of edges for Washington, 60-59. At that point, the gap was still very small. The Wizards had erased Orlando's biggest lead, then went into the second half with a one-point advantage. The tight half-time score preceded a third quarter far more favourable to the visitors.

Third quarter decides the game

Washington won the third quarter 19-9, and that is where the game changed direction. With 6:25 left in the period, the Wizards already led 69-63. Orlando then got stuck on 68 points while Washington put together an 8-0 run, from 68-71 to 68-79. That 11-point gap was the widest of the night for the Wizards. Orlando could not get close again, and Washington led by 11 points, 79-68, at the end of the quarter.

The fourth quarter did not quite close the door. Orlando won it 26-24 and got back to 84-89 with 6:26 left. But on the available scoring updates, the Wizards were still in front, and they closed it out 103-94. The final margin, 9 points, almost matches the gap created in the third quarter alone. Orlando won two periods, the first and the fourth, but paid dearly for their offensive drought after the break.

Key performers

For the winners, Davis combined volume and efficiency with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals, despite 5 turnovers. Kyshawn George added 22 points, with 4 of 8 from three, and AJ Dybantsa scored 21 points, including 6 for 6 at the free-throw line. Trae Young contributed 15 points and 9 assists. Bilal Coulibaly added 7 points and 3 blocks off the bench. Deandre Ayton, a starter, grabbed 6 rebounds in 24 minutes.

For Orlando, Franz Wagner finished with 24 points, 6 assists and 38 minutes played. Desmond Bane scored 20 points, including 4 three-pointers, but also lost the ball 4 times. Jamal Cain scored 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting. Tristan da Silva also scored 10 points, on 14 shots and 2 of 10 from deep. Nikola Vucevic grabbed 6 rebounds in 14 minutes, while Jase Richardson ended with 9 points, 5 assists and a plus-minus of -13.

Three numbers to remember

The 19-9 third quarter weighed heavily. Washington opened up a 10-point gap in that period alone. The game ended with the Wizards 9 points clear.

Washington were more efficient from the field. The Wizards made 40 of 75 shots, against 37 of 80 for Orlando. They also hit 14 of 18 free throws, against 9 of 10 for the Magic, and won the rebounding battle, 35 to 32. They lost the ball 16 times, two fewer than Orlando.

Orlando leaned heavily on the perimeter. The Magic attempted 39 three-pointers and made 11. Washington took 24 and made 9. The gap therefore does not come only from outside volume, but also from the Wizards' overall shooting and their edge at the free-throw line.

The SNA view

Orlando lost a big part of this game on the perimeter. Nearly one in two Magic shots was a three-point attempt, with 39 tries from 80 shots in all, for 11 makes. Washington took 24 from deep on 75 attempts, a more restrained volume, and earned 18 free throws to Orlando's 10. Above all, that points to an offense that relied less on the perimeter and got more reward at the free-throw line. With 40 field goals from 75, the Wizards got more out of their shots. The Magic, for their part, did not make up for it by taking care of the ball: 18 turnovers, including 4 for Bane, 4 for Cain and 4 for da Silva. In a game without a huge margin, this mix of limited outside shooting, a third quarter of just 9 points and a string of turnovers was enough to tip the night.

What next

Washington will host Atlanta on 5 November at 1:00 Brazzaville time, with a 4-3 record and 6th place in the Eastern Conference. Orlando remain 11th at 2-5 after this defeat, reported as their fourth in a row.