Green's late basket lifts Wizards past Magic 95-91
By DICK SCANLON
Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Jeff Green made the go-ahead layup with 42 seconds left and scored a season-high 24 points as the Washington Wizards defeated the Orlando Magic 95-91 on Friday night.
Bradley Beal had 27 points and seven assists for the Wizards, who won for the fifth time in seven games.
Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 28 points and nine rebounds, and Aaron Gordon added 22 points and 11 rebounds. Terrence Ross scored 16 points off the bench.
The Wizards, who extended their lead to 18 points twice in the third quarter, shot 56 percent (15 for 27) from 3-point range. The Magic shot 7 for 33 (21 percent) from beyond the arc.
Green hit three 3-pointers and Otto Porter made two 3s as the Wizards closed out the first half on a 15-5 run for a 50-38 lead at the break.
Washington shot 9 for 15 from 3-point range in first half, while Orlando made 3 of 21 from long distance.
Beal and Thomas Bryant combined for 12 points early in the second half as the Wizards stretched their lead to 18. But a 3-pointer by Ross capped a 15-point run as the Magic got back into the game.
The Magic tied the score on a dunk by Jonathan Isaac with 4:24 left, and a layup by Vucevic with 1:37 left put Orlando up 91-89.
But Vucevic missed two free throws with 59.6 seconds left and the Magic didn't score again.
TIP-INS
Wizards: It was the opening game of a three-game trip for the Wizards, who have won 19 of 23 against Orlando. ... Green shot 6 for 9 from 3-point range.
Magic: Friday was the fifth anniversary of Ross' 50-point game for Toronto against the Los Angeles Clippers. ... G Jonathan Simmons is back in the rotation after a string of five straight DNPs. "(Getting to the basket) is not a strength of our team and it's a strength for him," coach Steve Clifford said. "So that's why I want to go that way for a while."
UP NEXT
Wizards: At San Antonio on Sunday night.
Magic: At Houston on Sunday night.