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FINAL: Wizards 120 | Magic 130
SCORING LEADERS
Wizards: Bradley Beal (39), Thomas Bryant (19), Russell Westbrook (15)
Magic: Terrence Ross (25), Nikola Vucevic (22), Markelle Fultz (21)
SUMMARY
The Wizards (0-2) were defeated 130-120 by the Magic (2-0) Saturday night at Capital One Arena in the first of back-to-back matchups between the two teams. Russell Westbrook notched his second straight triple-double, totaling 15 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists while Bradley Beal scored a game-high 39 points.
Westbrook knocked down a mid-range jumper at the first quarter buzzer to tie the game at 32, capping a back-and-forth opening frame. While the Wizards were productive on the offensive end, they let some scoring opportunities slip away, shooting 4-8 (.500) in the paint compared to Orlando’s 7-10 (.700). After trailing by as many as nine in the second quarter, seven points from Beal in the final 2:40 of the half pulled the Wizards within two.
With 6:41 left in the third quarter, Beal put back his own missed layup, scoring his 23rd and 24th points of the night to tie the game at 77 apiece. From that point until 7:26 left in the fourth quarter, no team led by more than five points. Beal scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, but Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross provided too much offense down the stretch, propelling the Magic to a win.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
Beal scores big two games in a row
Beal has picked up right where he left off last season, a season in which he became just the fifth player in the last decade to average over 30.0 points per game. Coming off a 31-point performance against the Sixers in the Wizards’ season opener, Beal surpassed the 30-point threshold yet again, this time scoring 39 points on 14-24 from the field, 2-5 (.400) from 3-point range and 9-13 (.692) from the free throw line. He did most of his damage in the second quarter, scoring 13 points on 4-5 (.800) from the field and 4-5 (.800) from the free throw line.
Westbrook notches consecutive triple-doubles
After recording a 21-11-15 triple-double in his Wizards debut on Wednesday, Westbrook put forth another well-rounded performance against the Magic. Early in the fourth quarter, Westbrook knocked down a pair of free throws to secure his second consecutive triple-double, becoming the third player in franchise history with consecutive triple-doubles (Darrell Walker, John Wall). Westbrook tied Bradley Beal for the ninth-most triple-doubles in franchise history (two).
Westbrook becomes the fourth player in NBA history to record a triple-double in each of his team’s first two games of the season, joining Magic Johnson (twice), Jerry Lucas and Oscar Robertson. Westbrook is the first to accomplish the feat in the first two games with a new team.
Vucevic heats up late
Magic center Nikola Vucevic was dominant on both ends of the court, scoring a team-high 22 points and grabbing a game-high 17 rebounds. After starting just 2-10 (.200) from the field and 0-4 (.000) from 3-point range, Vucevic found his touch in the second half. He scored 16 of his 22 points after halftime, 10 of which came in the final five minutes of the game.
NEXT UP: Magic at Wizards / Sunday, December 27 / 7:00 P.M. / Capital One Arena
HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT