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Paolo Banchero scores 32, Magic beat Pelicans 117-108

Wed, Apr 3, 2024
NBA News (AP)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Paolo Banchero scored 32 points and the Orlando Magic defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 117-108 on Wednesday night.

Franz Wagner scored 24 points and Moritz Wagner added 18 points for the Magic, who've won three straight and moved a half game ahead of the idle New York Knicks for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

CJ McCollum had 36 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which has lost three straight and four of five, slipping from fourth to sixth in the Western Conference, just half a game in front of seventh-place Sacramento.

Zion Williamson scored 15 points and looked fortunate to avoid injury when his legs were cut out from under him by Gary Harris, who slipped and fell while attempting to poke the ball away from the Pelicans' star power forward during the third quarter.

Williamson later went to the locker room with trainers before returning to the game, but sat on the bench for much of the fourth quarter, playing just 29 minutes.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Orlando, which shot 51.3% (41 of 80) and led by as many as 20 points when Moritz Wagner's free throws made it 104-84 with 7:56 left in the fourth quarter.

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New Orleans pulled to 112-106 on Dyson Daniels' layup with 35 seconds left, but Banchero responded with a dunk to virtually put it away, after which three Pelicans players - Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Daniels - were ejected, apparently for comments made to officials.

Daniels finished with 16 points and Murphy 14.

Banchero, who has scored 30 or more 10 times this season, had 18 of his points in the first half. His driving and cutting dunks in the final minute of the second quarter gave Orlando a 58-52 lead before Murphy's 3 made it 58-55 at halftime.

UP NEXT

Magic: Visit Charlotte on Friday night in the second of a two-game road swing.

Pelicans: Host San Antonio on Friday night to close out a six-game home stand.

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