Story byBEN NUCKOLSWed, January 7, 2026 at 2:36 AM UTC·2 min readWASHINGTON (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 27 points and steadied the Wizards after they nearly blew a 26-point lead as Washington held on for a 120-112 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. Alex Sarr added 23 points for the young and suddenly competitive Wizards, who have won five of seven. Washington, in the midst of a yearslong rebuild, began the season 3-20 but has gone 7-5 since. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Wizards' inexperience showed after they took an 89-63 lead on Justin Champagnie's 3-pointer in the third quarter. Orlando cut the deficit to 14 points by the end of the period and continued its rally as Washington began the fourth quarter by going 2 of 10 from the field. Goga Bitadze's layup got the Magic within 107-105 with 5:03 left, and Orlando could sense the biggest comeback victory in franchise history.