All Hornets

Hornets' sloppy offense leads to NBA cup opening loss in Orlando

Charlotte can't overcome the Magic's stifling defense

Albert Bottcher

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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Eastern Conference Standings: 10th with a record of 4-7

Summary

The Charlotte Hornets (4-7) fell to the Orlando Magic (6-6) on Tuesday night (Nov. 12). Both teams started off shooting a good ball, but it became obvious early on that Charlotte would need someone other than LaMelo Ball to step up. Tre Mann was a late scratch with lower back soreness and Brandon Miller struggled against Orlando's size, so help never really arrived.

When LaMelo's shooting cooled down in the second half, the game slipped away entirely. Orlando continued to build on their already sizeable lead in the closing minutes, as point differential can be crucial to advance out of the NBA Cup group stage. If you want to learn more about how the in-season tournament works, you can do so HERE.

The game saw two guys duke it out early on, as Jalen Suggs and LaMelo Ball let it fly from the get-go. The Magic guard scored 13 of his team's 31 first-quarter points, on 5/5 shooting. LaMelo answered with 16 quick ones. Outside of those two, the only other player in double-digits was Franz Wagner with 10.

Hornets were down by two heading into the second, but things took a turn for the worse. Charlotte's bench lineup, including Tre Mann's replacement Vasilije Micic, was completely out of sorts and dug themselves into a giant hole. Offensively there was a lack of assertiveness as turnovers began piling up. It didn't look any better on defense, as Franz Wagner had his way coming off of screens. The starting lineup managed to shrink a 17-point deficit to arrive within 47-58 at the half.

Charles Lee's squad made its final push of the game at the beginning of the third. Threes by Grant Williams, LaMelo Ball, and Cody Martin kept the Hornets really close for about six minutes. Then came another run by the hosts, spurred by their suffocating defense. Again, the Hornets came apart a bit, losing their matchups on defense way too easily and finding no answers on offense.

Best of the Night

LaMelo Balls first-half offensive display

It was an all-around start to the game by LaMelo Ball. He scored on all three levels, looked for his shot without forcing anything and set his teammates up nicely. Charlotte was at a noticeable disadvantage when he left the game, as the absence of backup guard Tre Mann couldn't be filled. In the second half, LaMelo was forced into taking a bunch of shots deep into the shotclock, which threw off his rhythm.

Worst of the Night

The bench unit

This was the first game where the Hornets' injury issues noticeably impacted their depth. The bench as a whole looked disjointed, lacking communication and rhythm on both ends of the floor. At the half, only 7 of Charlotte's 47 points came from non-starters. In all fairness, Brandon Miller (3/18 FGs) and Josh Green (4 TOs) didn't contribute much either, so you might as well include them in this disappointing bunch of players.

Highlight of the Night

Moussa's Poster on the way to a special achievement

Arguably Charlotte's second-best player tonight, Moussa was rewarded with plenty of minutes. In the extended playing time, the Frenchman managed to notch his first NBA double-double. Along with 15 rebounds and 3 blocks, Diabate put up 12 points on 6 of 7 shooting. Two of those came on a sweet slam in the middle of the third, which also got a pretty good reaction out of Eric Collins.

MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI

NBA last two-minute report reveals multiple missed calls that swung Hornets loss to 76ers in Philadelphia

Hornets 2024 NBA Cup run tips off on Tuesday: Analyzing Charlottes' path to in-season tournament glory

Why Moussa Diabaté deserves a starting role with the injured Charlotte Hornets: A deep dive into his impact

LaMelo Ball's offensive maturation is key to Charlotte Hornets' future success

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Albert Bottcher
ALBERT BOTTCHER

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