Magic Finish Road Trip on High with Win vs. Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets failed to pull out a victory against the Orlando Magic Sunday afternoon.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 5, 2023

Magic Finish Road Trip on High with Win vs. Hornets /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic (22-32) is all smiles on the flight home to central Florida after a 119-113 win against the Charlotte Hornets (15-40) Sunday afternoon at the Spectrum Center.

The Magic started off slow on defense with the early 1 p.m. tip, allowing the Hornets to make 67 percent of their shots and put 37 points on the scoreboard.

At the end of the first half, the Magic went on a 20-7 run in the final five minutes to take a four-point lead into the locker room.

The Magic held the lead throughout the third quarter, but coughed it up in the first minute of the fourth with two triples from Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.

The game was tied at 97 with just under eight minutes to go, but a 9-2 run put the Magic ahead until the final whistle.

Paolo Banchero led all Magic scorers with 22 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. added 20 points and 12 rebounds after missing Friday's game with a plantar fascia strain.

The victory clinches a 3-1 record for the Magic on the road trip, picking up wins against the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Hornets.

The Magic returns home Tuesday for a three-game homestand to face off against the New York Knicks. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Published Feb 5, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.