Jalen Suggs capped a 28-point performance with a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:27 to go in overtime, Tristan da Silva chipped in with a career-best 26, and the Orlando Magic withstood a fourth-quarter flurry by the visiting Washington Wizards for a 136-131 victory Thursday night.
Desmond Bane contributed 22 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. had 19 and Paolo Banchero 18 as part of double-doubles for the Magic, who won their sixth in a row.
Bilal Coulibaly was the game’s leading scorer with a career-high 29 points for the Wizards, who never led until overtime, trailed by as many as 19 midway through the third period and were still 17 down in the first minute of the final period before Coulibaly forced the extra session with a game-tying 26-footer with 5.8 seconds left.
Coulibaly gave the visitors a brief one-point lead early in overtime with two free throws, then got Washington even one last time at 131-all on a 3-pointer with 1:39 to go before Orlando scored the game’s final five points.
Suggs’ 3-pointer and two subsequent free throws with 56.1 seconds left capped the scoring.
The Wizards’ big run came as part of a 42-point fourth quarter and featured an 11-0 burst to get within 109-104 on a pair of Bub Carrington free throws with 3:34 remaining. Seeking to end a nine-game losing streak, they then clawed within four on a Carrington jumper at the 2:54 mark, three on a three-point play by Coulibaly 37 seconds later and one on an Anthony Gill layup with 23.7 seconds to play.
Coulibaly’s overtime-producing 3-pointer followed a total of six free throws by Bane (four) and da Silva (two), Bane’s second pair coming with 9.0 seconds left.
Suggs complemented his team-high point total with a game-high eight assists. Carter tied Washington’s Tristan Vukcevic for game-high rebound honors with 11.
Alex Sarr (16 points), Trae Young (15), Leaky Black (12), Justin Champagnie (12) and Vukcevic (11) joined Coulibaly in double figures for the Wizards, who were coming off a humiliating 150-129 loss at Miami in which Bam Adebayo scored 83 points.
Playing for just the third time since Dec. 27, Young also found time for a team-high six assists in his 21 minutes.
–Field Level Media
