SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Nikola Vucevic scored 42 points and matched his career high of six 3-pointers as the Orlando Magic beat the Sacramento Kings 123-112 on Friday night.

Michael Carter-Williams returned for the Magic after missing more than five weeks and scored 15 of his season-best 21 points in the third quarter. Playing for the first time since a sprained left foot sidelined him for 18 games, Carter-Williams had an uneven shooting night but made up for it by repeatedly driving through the paint and getting to the rim. He also had seven assists and seven rebounds.

With Carter-Williams sparking Orlando’s inside game, Vucevic’s shooting beyond the arc helped carry the Magic’s perimeter attack. The 6-foot-11 big man made three 3s in the first half, two in the third quarter and added a sixth early in the fourth to put Orlando ahead 105-91.

Vucevic shot 17 of 22 and grabbed nine rebounds. Terrence Ross added 18 points for the Magic, who won for the fourth time in 19 games.

Hassan Whiteside had 18 points and seven rebounds for the Kings, who had won seven of nine.

Both teams were missing key players.

Sacramento played without injured starters De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III. Orlando, already without Markelle Fultz for the remainder of the season, added Frank Mason to a long list of injured players that includes Evan Fournier, Al-Farouq Aminu and Aaron Gordon.

Kings coach Luke Walton was so frustrated with his team that he pulled his entire starting five off the floor with a mass substitution four minutes into the third quarter while the Magic were in the midst of a 19-3 run.

Vucevic dominated the low paint and had 21 points in the first half. He scored 16 in the first quarter, made 10 of his first 13 shots and had a pair of 3s to help put Orlando ahead 64-59.

TIP-INS

Magic: Steve Clifford is 7-3 on coach’s challenges this season after losing one early in the third quarter.

Kings: Fox, the Western Conference player of the week, sat out after banging his knee in practice earlier in the week. Bagley has a sore calf. Both had started Sacramento’s first 24 games. … Nemanja Bjelica had 15 points and nine rebounds in his first game since Jan. 9.

UP NEXT

Magic: Visit the Suns on Sunday. Orlando has won six of the last nine in Phoenix.

Kings: Host the Grizzlies on Sunday night. The teams were scheduled to play a back-to-back in late January in Memphis before both games were postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.

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