Wizards Drop Sixth Straight Game Following 126-109 Defeat vs Magic

On March 3, 2026, the Washington Wizards were defeated by the Orlando Magic, 126-109 at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.  

Washington, now losers of six in a row, were simply outmatched by Orlando and their experience in the second half. 

Although Washington lost by 17 points, they kept the game competitive in the first half as they were only down by three points heading into halftime. 

Washington shot a respectable 43-for-92 (47%) from the field, but struggled to find consistent success from behind the arc as they 7-for-32 (22%) from three point range. Orlando, on the other hand, shot 42-for-76 (55%) from the field and 10-for-25 (40%) from the beyond the arc.

On the bright side, Washington saw encouraging performances from some of their younger players. 

Rookie Will Riley had another terrific performance, scoring a team high of 19 points on 8-for-13 (61.5%), with three rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes of action. Riley's tight handle and strong scoring abilities have bolstered him to the top of Washington's young core. The rookie has now scored 18 or more points in three out of his last five games. 

Outside of Riley, Washington saw minimal production from their starting lineup. However, Julian Reese from the University of Maryland had the best game of his young career. Reese had nine points on 4-for-6 shooting with eight rebounds and three assists. If Reese continues to string together strong performances like tonight, he could potentially carve a role out for him on this team going forward. 

Sharife Cooper, yet again, had another extremely strong performance. In only 20 minutes tonight, Cooper scored 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting while hauling in three rebounds and dishing out three assists. Cooper has now scored 16 or more points in consecutive games. 

Jaden Hardy, who wad recently acquired in the Anthony Davis deal, scored 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field and was a +6 when on the court. Hardy has scored double figures in all six games as a Wizard, and has continued to display his strong scoring abilities, especially coming off the bench. Hardy is looking like a legitimate bench option, and possible sixth man, for Washington next season. 

Although Washington came out flat in the second half, their first half was enough to keep fans optimistic about the future. With the recent emergences Riley, Cooper, Hardy and possibly Reese, there is a lot for fans to look forward to towards the end of the season, especially with Trae Young's Washington Wizards debut this upcoming Thursday against the Utah Jazz at Capital One Arena. 

Tip-off set for 7 PM ET.