Washington @ Orlando preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 1, 2020 ) Orlando 122, Washington 101

The Orlando Magic are winners of three of their last four games as they slowly try to climb back to .500 and might have found a way to tap into some talent on the roster. Former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz will try to follow up a career-high 25 points when the Magic host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

Fultz, who was taken No. 1 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2017 but played only 33 games for the team while dealing with shoulder injuries before being traded to Orlando last season, is finally getting a chance to tap into his talent. "The biggest thing is that I took the time to get healthy, I'm feeling very good and my body is feeling good," Fultz, who went 11-of-20 from the floor and scored seven straight points during a key fourth quarter run in Monday's 101-89 victory over Brooklyn, told reporters. "That's the biggest thing - that I took the time to make sure that my shoulder is right and that everything in my body is right. Now, I'm back to being me." The Wizards are getting their own surprise on offense from point guard Ish Smith, who followed a career-high 32 points against Denver on Saturday with 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting in a 99-94 victory over Boston on Monday. "If it were a two-game season, I would have to agree with the crowd: MVP," Washington coach Scott Brooks told reporters of Smith. "And he's bringing back the mid-range. He plays. Man, that guy - he's hard to stay in front of. He changes direction, his pace, speed, it's hard - it's hard to stay in front of him."

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Washington, FS Florida

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (12-24): Smith's surge comes with the team dealing with a slew of injuries, including All-Star guard Bradley Beal sitting out the last three contests with a knee injury. Washington was missing seven rotation players but still held the Celtics to 34.7 percent from the floor on Monday while Smith and Jordan McRae (19 points) carried the offense. "I love coaching these guys," Brooks told reporters. "I love being around them. ... When we lost a couple of games, they always come back ready to get better, and even on their optional off days, we have eight or nine or 10 guys in there, working on their game. They're hungry."

ABOUT THE MAGIC (17-20): Fultz is still trying to find some consistency with his jump shot and went a combined 13-of-46 from the floor in the five games prior to Monday but impacts the game in other ways and ranks second on the team in assists (4.4) and steals (1.3). "He's definitely a guy who can change a lot of stuff for us with the way that he plays," Orlando guard Evan Fournier told reporters. "He creates so much in transition, a lot of times with him pushing the ball and getting it so deep into the paint and finding shooters. That's something that we didn't have before (trading for) him. So, he's really helping us. This is really his first year playing and he's going to do a lot more things as he gets the experience and he keeps growing." Fultz collected 16 points and eight assists in a 122-101 victory at Washington on Jan. 1.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Magic C Nikola Vucevic recorded his 302nd career double-double -- and 300th with the Magic -- on Monday with 11 points and a season-best 24 rebounds.

2. Wizards SG Garrison Mathews (ankle) left Monday's game and is day-to-day.

3. Orlando averaged 124.7 points while taking the first three meetings this season.

PREDICTION: Magic 106, Wizards 98