Story By: Sol Tucker
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Washington, D.C–
In a night where the Wizards finally had a healthy line-up, the results showed as they never really let the Magic get within striking distance late in the game and the career night by Rui Hachimura with 30 points gave the Wizards a strong 138-118 victory.
While the Wizards were celebrating the success tonight of beating a up and coming Orlando team, they had to see another one of their starters exit the game.
Kristaps Porzingis left the game in the third quarter with an ankle sprain and is scheduled to be reevaluated tomorrow to determine if he will have to miss any games on their upcoming road trip.
“He’ll be evaluated tomorrow. We’ll see where it is,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “I don’t think it’s too bad, but fingers crossed.”
Washington has won seven straight games against the Magic. The Wizards clearly had the advantage from the start in the game. It was apparent after the dunk by Daniel Gafford capping a 10-0 run that it was going to be a long night for Orlando. The dunk by Gafford gave Washington a 37-23 advantage near the end of the first quarter.
“We just didn’t have the physicality tonight that we needed. There was just a different level of energy.” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We didn’t have our presence and our physicality early, with the ball pressure that we needed, and so they were comfortable stepping into each one of their shots.”