ORLANDO (AP) – Kristaps Porzingis had 30 points and 13 rebounds and the Washington Wizards routed the short-handed Orlando Magic 119-100 yesterday for their fourth straight victory.
Kyle Kuzma added 23 points and Rui Hachimura had 16 points and seven rebounds. The Wizards played without star guard Bradley Beal for the second straight game because of a strained hamstring.
Franz Wagner had 28 points and eight assists for Orlando, and Paolo Banchero added 21 points. The Magic had only eight players available after suspensions by the NBA in the wake of an incident in Detroit on Thursday.
The Wizards overcame 26 turnovers with 56 per cent shooting and a 53-35 rebounding advantage.
“We’re winning games that we’re supposed to win,” Porzingis said. “We had a tough schedule in December and now it’s getting a little bit easier. With this team, especially with all the guys they’re missing, we’re supposed to win this game. So we’re just doing what we’re getting paid for.”
After losing at Brooklyn on the final day of November, the Wizards had opened December with nine more losses.
“After a 10-game losing streak, it’s good to see us on the other side of that,” coach Wes Unseld Jr said. “We’re finally starting get healthy, and it’s promising to see where we could go. I like where we are. We’re playing with a lot of confidence.”
The Magic have lost three straight after winning eight of nine.
“We just couldn’t get shots to fall early and then we had to start playing from behind,” said Banchero, who made only seven of 24 shots. “That’s pretty hard when you have eight players. You can’t get guys out. Guys have to stay in.”
Wagner scored eight points on a 16-0 run that put the Magic up 32-27 early in the second quarter. Prorzingis scored 15 points in the final 8:39 of the period, leaving Washington with a 56-47 lead at the break.
Two three-pointers by Corey Kispert and three-point plays by Porzingis and Daniel Gafford helped the Wizards expand their lead to 25 in the first six minutes of the second half.
