Orlando, FL – In a crucial matchup late in the season against the Charlotte Hornets, the Orlando Magic put forth a relatively poor effort and ultimately fell short in a 124-115 loss on the road, just after wrapping up a three-game winning streak.
Brandon Miller shot an arrow through the hearts of the Magic with his incredible first-half performance, which included 19 points in the first quarter and perfect shooting heading to the break. Orlando’s defense had no answer for the rookie who was on fire all night long. On the away side, Paolo Banchero was doing his best to go toe to toe with the flamethrower in Miller, dropping 32 of his own points in the game.
Paolo wasn’t alone in this game, with Franz pouring in 22 points and following up on his stellar performance from last game, and Markelle Fultz, making strides in his return from injury, who showcased flashes of his potential with an impactful 15-point outing. Fultz’s ability to penetrate the defense and create scoring opportunities not only for himself but also for his teammates demonstrated his growing confidence and playmaking abilities. Wendell Carter Jr. and Gary Harris were both able to shoot 50% from the field and record double-digit points, which goes to show that scoring was definitely not an issue this game
Free throws were practically the highlight of the night, with Charlotte going a perfect 23-23 from the stripe and the Magic trailing with a very respectable 22-26 on the night. Both teams were in attack mode and going straight for the rim with no mercy, and the defenders underneath had no choice but to foul. The referees were forced to blow the whistle throughout the game as a result of the fast-paced play in the paint.
Orlando simply didn’t have the intensity needed throughout the game, which came as a surprise to Magic fans, seeing as that has been their identity all season long. Orlando allowed the Hornets to have six double-digit scorers and Charlotte was uber-efficient as well, shooting nearly 60% from the field and 50% from three all night long. Jonathan Isaac, who sat out to nurse his knee injury, had his absence felt throughout the team in a game where his defensive prowess would’ve been useful. The icing on the cake came in the fourth quarter when Charlotte went on a 10-0 run and Orlando never called a timeout and the Hornets’ momentum carried them out of the game
Although the Magic came up short in the end, the team still holds a top seed in the conference, and with just five games left in the season, it doesn’t seem likely that Orlando will lose home-court advantage if they can bounce back from this loss. As they continue to gel and grow together, performances like these will be instrumental in allowing this young squad to make some noise in the post-season.
