Magic Fend Off Lowly Hornets Late for Third Straight Victory

With a 111-104 victory over the 18-win Charlotte Hornets, the Orlando Magic have now won three straight games for the first time since a six-game winning streak on Nov. 21-Dec. 1 earlier this season.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) drives to the basket as he is defended by Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic (11) during the first half at the Spectrum Center. / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

After he and Franz Wagner shined bright in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night, Paolo Banchero said the Orlando Magic's second consecutive victory "doesn't mean anything."

Why?

"Honestly, that's what we expect, we just hadn't done it," the third-year pro said. "We were hungry to do it, but that doesn't matter if we go into Charlotte tomorrow and lay an egg."

The Magic nearly did lay an egg. But, they made key plays late and scored the game's final seven points to fight off a hangover loss to the lowly 18-win Hornets. Orlando escaped the Queen City with a 111-104 victory to sweep the season series over their division rival on the second night of a back-to-back.

Orlando, now the winner of three straight contests and four of its last five, is 35-38 and eighth in the East – still chasing No. 7 Atlanta with nine games left in the regular season.

Tuesday's result marks the Magic's first three-game winning streak since Orlando won six straight games from Nov. 21 to Dec. 1 earlier this season. It's also the first time since the 2010-11 season the Magic have swept the season series versus the Hornets.

Banchero again shined on Tuesday night, scoring 32 points to go with seven rebounds, six assists and a steal in the victory.

The third-year pro became the first Orlando player since Dwight Howard – the newest inductee into the Magic's Hall of Fame – in 2011 to score 30-plus points in four straight games. Banchero joined Howard, Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players in franchise history to accomplish the feat.

"Some of the shots he's able to make out there and some of the moves he's able to do at his size, it's just unheard of," Anthony Black said postgame. "Four 30-balls in a row leading to wins, and he's making his teammates better, too, so that's a special player."

Franz Wagner followed Banchero with 26 points and eight rebounds. And, despite only going four-deep, the Magic bench supplanted its two stars with complimentary play to help secure victory.

• Black had 20 points, five rebounds, a steal and two blocks;
• Caleb Houstan drilled four threes to tally 12 points;
• Gary Harris filled the stat sheet, notching six points, five rebounds, five assists, and two crucial steals; and
• Goga Bitadze scored two points with nine boards.

Black, Houstan, Harris and Bitadze were a respective plus-20, plus-12, plus-eight and plus-eight in the win.

"It's just a huge boost," Banchero said postgame. "We knew this was not going to be an easy game despite their record and what they've done this season ... So, it just was a huge team effort to come here after a big win at home last night and get this win on a back-to-back."

Despite Orlando leading by 13 points in the second quarter and 10 at halftime, a disastrous 22-5 Hornets run out of halftime quickly forfeited the Magic's advantage. The Magic answered with a 10-3 run to knot the score at 83-all to end the third, but Charlotte won the quarter 30-20 to set up the tight finish.

With a 28-21 fourth-quarter, however, the Magic fended off Charlotte's spoiler attempt.

"I think the ability to come back, one, in that third quarter, then the ability to sustain that effort defensively more than anything," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said postgame. "The 21-point fourth quarter down the stretch, holding them without scoring, I think, is big for this group and just shows the toughness, the resiliency and fight that they continue to have no matter what's going on in a game."

Since Christmas, the Magic are now just 5-20 when being outscored in the third quarter.

Orlando shot 45.6 percent from the field while limiting the Hornets to 42.0 percent. The Magic dominated the rebounding battle 50-38, scored 17 fastbreak points to the Hornets' 10, and outscored Charlotte 48-42 in the paint.

LaMelo Ball scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half and 14 in the fourth quarter, but the star Hornets guard fouled out of the contest in the game's final seconds.

Up Next

The Magic begin a three-game homestand Thursday, March 27 when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Kia Center at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV.

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