Field Level Media
Apr 11, 2018
Rodney Purvis scored 16 points while Mario Hezonja scored 15 for Orlando as the Magic defeated the visiting Washington Wizards 101-92 in the regular-season finale for both teams Wednesday night.
The Wizards (43-39) came into the game as the final seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and this loss prevented Washington from moving up. The Wizards will play the top-seeded Toronto Raptors in the opening round of the postseason.
Hezonja made four key foul shots in the final minutes as the Magic held off Washington, which took the lead a few times in the fourth quarter before Orlando took over down the stretch.
Free throws might were a key difference in the game. The Magic made 22 of 27 while the Wizards hit only 16 of 27.
Orlando (25-57) already had been eliminated from postseason contention.
Washington was missing some key players as coach Scott Brooks said before the game that John Wall would sit and that a mild calf strain would sideline Otto Porter Jr. Tomas Satoransky (13 points) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (nine points) started in their place.
Jodie Meeks led Washington with 18 points, while Markieff Morris had 15 and Bradley Beal added 13.
The Magic started fast, with Aaron Gordon scoring 11 points as Orlando took a 21-12 lead in the first quarter. However, Washington rallied and cut the deficit to 26-23 after one.
The Wizards took a one-point lead twice in the second quarter, both times on jumpers from Mike Scott, the last one giving them a 35-34 edge. However, Orlando took charge after that, scoring nine in a row and eventually pushing its halftime lead to 55-45.
Arron Afflalo scored all 12 of his points in the second quarter for Orlando.
The Magic held the lead throughout the third quarter, but the Wizards worked their way back and got consecutive 3-pointers from Meeks that sliced the difference to 76-75 after three.
The Magic's Marreese Speights was ejected in the third quarter after throwing an elbow to the head of Marcin Gortat as the two were walking downcourt.
--Field Level Media