Dinwiddie, Harrell lead Wizards to their fourth straight win

Updated Nov. 13, 2021 9:26 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Spencer Dinwiddie scored 23 points, Montrezl Harrell added 20 and the Washington Wizards used a 20-0 first-half run to beat the Orlando Magic 104-92 on Saturday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Kyle Kuzma added 17 points and 10 rebounds to help Washington improve to 9-3 for the first time since the 2014-15 season. That’s much improved over last season when the Wizards were 3-9 after 12 games.

Kuzma had three straight 3-pointers in the third quarter after Orlando pulled to 59-49. Washington closed the third quarter with a 30-16 burst to turn it into a rout.

Washington shot 50% from the floor and improved to 4-0 when shooting at least 50 percent. Also, the Wizards are now 7-2 when scoring at least 100 points. Dinwiddie chipped in 11 rebounds and six assists in his fourth 20-point game of the season. Harrell added seven assists and six rebounds off the bench.

Orlando’s Cole Anthony scored 22 points, but he made just 4 of 16 shots. Mo Bamba added 14 points, 17 rebounds and three blocked shots for Orlando, which dropped to 0-7 this season when failing to score 100 points. Rookie Jalen Suggs, who had eight points, left with a right ankle sprain in the third quarter and did not return.

Up 18-14 after a hot shooting start to the game, the Magic went 8:24 — the final 5:15 of the first quarter and the first 3:09 of the second — without a point. The Wizards’ 20-0 burst during that stretch took them from down four to up 16 early in the second quarter. Washington used that stretch to build a 50-37 halftime lead.

RETRO MUSIC

Following through on a promise that if one of their Friday Twitter tweets received 1,000 retweets, the Magic played the “1989 Orlando Magic theme song” just before the tipoff of Saturday’s game.

The movement was started by Kevin Clark, a sports writer for The Ringer and a lifelong Magic fan, and it gained momentum after being promoted by several Magic players on their social media accounts. The song was played throughout the 1989-90 season — Orlando’s first in the NBA.

“Abracadabra, razzamatazz … Slam dunk sesame … Hocus pocus, alakazam … Gonna set the spirit free,” as the song goes. “Orlando Magic, Orlando Magic, Orlando Magic, Wooahhh, Orlando Magic, Orlando Magic, Orlando Magic, Watch out, beware … Gonna get ya!”

TIP-INS

Wizards: Washington was without star guard Bradley Beal, who was mourning the death of his maternal grandmother — whom he recently referred to as “Mom 2.0.” Aaron Holiday started for Beal and scored 11 points. “I reached out to (Beal) and he seemed like he was OK. … We want to keep him in our thoughts and prayers, uplift his family and hopefully he’ll be back with us shortly,” Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. … Washington is now 8-0 when leading after one quarter, 6-0 when leading at half and 8-0 when up heading into the fourth quarter.

Magic: Magic forward Wendell Carter Jr. wore black-rimmed glasses after sustaining a left eye abrasion on Wednesday. They must have helped as he sank his first three 3-point shots in the game’s first six minutes. … Saturday’s game was the last of a five-game home stand. The Magic start a five-game, nine-day road trip on Monday. … Betsy DeVos, wife of Magic co-owner Dick DeVos and the former U.S. Secretary of Education, attended Saturday’s game and sat near court side.

UP NEXT

Wizards: Host New Orleans on Monday night.

Magic: Play at Atlanta on Monday night.