Washington held Orlando to nine points in the third quarter and won 103-94

Anthony Davis scored 29 points and AJ Dybantsa added 21 as the Washington Wizards beat the Orlando Magic 103-94 on Monday night.

The game turned in the third quarter, when Orlando scored just nine points after putting up 33 in the first.

Washington is 4-3 and 2-2 on the road. Orlando is 2-5 and has not won at home this season.

The quarter scores read 28-33, 32-26, 19-9 and 24-26.

Washington has now won two of three and sits above five hundred for the first time this month.

Orlando's fourth quarter was better than its third, but the deficit was already too large.

The Wizards' win was their second in three games and moved them above five hundred.

Orlando's next game is at home.

Dybantsa's 21 points came in only his third NBA game, and it was his most complete performance so far.

The rookie scored inside and in transition, and his minutes came at the expense of the Wizards' bench scoring.

Washington needed the second scorer because the Magic loaded up on Davis in the first half.

Davis still finished with 29 points and eight rebounds, and his free throws in the fourth quarter kept Orlando at arm's length.

Dybantsa's 21 points came efficiently, and he was the only Washington player besides Davis to reach double figures in the first three quarters.

The rookie's minutes have grown in each of his three games, and the Wizards have won two of them.

The rookie's usage has grown because Washington's other guards have struggled to create.

His next test is a better defensive team.

The Wizards have outscored opponents in the third quarter in four of their seven games.

Orlando's first quarter was its best of the night, and it was built on pace and 3-point shooting.

The third quarter was the opposite: nine points, no rhythm, and a defense that could not get stops.

That quarter is the story of the Magic's season. They have been competitive in bursts and unable to sustain it.

Franz Wagner and the rest of the rotation could not create a clean look once Washington switched.

Orlando's nine-point third quarter was its worst period of the season, and it came immediately after its best first quarter.

The Magic's guards could not get into the paint, and their 3-point shooting cooled after a hot start.

Orlando's first quarter was built on 3-point shooting that did not last.

The Magic's next three games are all against teams with winning records, which makes the home problem more urgent.

Washington's defense has allowed under one hundred and ten in five of its seven games.

The Magic's third quarter was the difference, and it is the quarter their coaching staff will study.

The Wizards' start is the quiet surprise of the East. Washington has won four of seven with a roster that was not expected to compete this early.

Davis has been the reason. He is scoring inside, drawing fouls and giving the young guards a release valve.

Orlando's problem is scoring. The Magic have now been held under a hundred in three of their five losses.

Both teams are in the same part of the standings, which makes this a game that matters more than it looks.

The Wizards' defense has been the surprise. Washington has held three of its last four opponents under a hundred.

Orlando's offense has been the problem all season, and the Magic are now 0-4 at home.

Orlando has not led after the first quarter in any of its home losses.

Washington's next game is a road game against a top-four team.

The nine-point quarter is the number Orlando has to fix. A team that cannot score for twelve minutes will lose most games regardless of the opponent.

Washington's win is the kind a rebuilding team needs: not a blowout, but a game it controlled in the second half.

The Wizards' next game is against a team with a winning record, which will be a better test of the start.

The Magic's next game is at home, where they are 0-4.

The Wizards' next game is against a top-four team in the East, which will be the real test of the start.

The Magic's next game is at home against a team with a similar record.

Orlando's home slide is the most urgent problem in the East's bottom half.

Washington's next test is a road game against a top-four team.

Washington plays three of its next four games at home, which is the part of the schedule that will decide whether the start is real.

The Wizards' defense was the difference in the third quarter, holding Orlando to nine points on 3-of-19 shooting.

That is the kind of number that changes a game's math. Washington did not need a big run because the Magic simply stopped scoring.

Dybantsa's development is the longer story for Washington. A rookie getting 21 points in his third game changes the team's ceiling.

Orlando's answer has to come from its guards, and the schedule does not offer an easy fix.