The Orlando Magic bounced back in convincing fashion Saturday night, routing the Sacramento Kings 121-91 at the Kia Center. Paolo Banchero set the tone early, scoring 24 points in just three quarters while adding six rebounds and six assists as Orlando pulled even with Atlanta for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Franz Wagner delivered an efficient 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, helping the Magic rebound from Thursday’s loss to Dallas that snapped their three-game winning streak. Caleb Houstan provided a huge lift off the bench, scoring 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc, while Wendell Carter Jr. added 12 points on a perfect 3-for-3 night from deep.
Sacramento, meanwhile, never found its rhythm. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 21 points, and Domantas Sabonis posted 14 points and 13 rebounds. But outside of their veteran duo, the Kings struggled offensively and defensively, falling further behind in the Western Conference play-in race with Dallas and Phoenix.
The Magic seized control from the opening tip. Orlando hit 5-of-10 three-pointers in the first quarter to build a 38-21 lead, while Sacramento went 0-for-6 from deep. From there, the Magic’s ball movement and balanced attack proved too much. Orlando finished with 31 assists compared to just 17 for the Kings, consistently generating clean looks and knocking them down.
With the win, Orlando continues to position itself in the tightly packed East playoff picture, while Sacramento faces an uphill battle in the West.
Next up, Orlando hosts the Clippers on Monday, while the Kings travel to Indiana.
