CHARLOTTE, NC – Paolo Banchero had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Wendell Carter Jr. added 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Orlando Magic used Charlotte’s poor foul shooting to beat the Hornets 119-113 on Sunday.
The Hornets made just one of nine free throws in the fourth quarter, while Orlando hit 13 of 15. Charlotte finished 11 of 23 from the line in his fourth straight loss – Orlando landed 27 of 30 with foul shots.
“You’re going to lose with this,” said LaMelo Ball, guard for the Hornets. “It’s very frustrating.”
Markelle Fultz had 16 points and Frank Wagner contributed 14 for the Magic, who improved to 9-19 away. Orlando (22-32) ended his road trip with a 3-1 record.
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“It shows our resilience and that we can compete with some of the best teams in the league,” Carter said of the road trip, which included victories in Philadelphia and Minnesota.
The Magic handled a terrific second half from Ball, who had 26 of his 33 points after the break and finished with six 3-pointers. Terry Rozier had 24 points for the Hornets, 21 of them in the first half.
Charlotte was five down after three quarters, but Ball knocked down back-to-back 3s in the first 33 seconds of the fourth period to lead 91-90.
The Hornets’ momentum didn’t last long as the Magic built a 110-103 lead behind Fultz, who scored with short shots and came off the field in 8th of 13. Charlotte wasted chance after chance, with Plumlee missing four straight free throws and one layup during that span, allowing the Magic to begin to retreat.
Wagner helped seal the win with a through lane for a layup to take the Magic to 115-107 with 35 seconds left.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley liked how his team beefed up their defense after Ball hit the two 3s to open the fourth quarter. From that point on, the Magic outplayed the Hornets 29-22, limiting Charlotte to 10 of 23 from shooting off the floor and only allowing one make from beyond the arc.
“Our guys did a really good job of communicating with each other, covering for each other and just competing against each other,” Mosley said. “It’s the last game of a long road trip and I think it’s a great way to end it.”
Carter added, “I think we stuck to our game plan when it mattered and got stops when we needed them.”
TRADE RUMOURS
With the Hornets among the worst teams in the NBA in terms of records and their playoff hopes rapidly fading, trade rumors continue to swirl around Rozier and Plumlee, two potential mobile veterans who could allow them to amass assets.
Rozier said Charlotte players talked among themselves after the game about what might be coming, but he said he wasn’t letting it become a distraction.
“My name has been in rumors my entire career, so I’ll let the people upstairs do their jobs and I’ll do mine,” Rozier said.
Coach Steve Clifford praised Rozier for his continued efforts despite what was a memorable season for Charlotte.
“He was the one, I felt like he was determined,” Clifford said. “He’s every night. He plays what such effort and tenacity. He’s the one for me who was fighting like, ‘We’re all tired, we’ve all played a lot, let’s find a way to win.’ We need more of that.”
TIP INS
Magic: Mo Bamba and Jalen Suggs sat out after their suspensions from a scuffle with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bamba began serving a four-game ban while Suggs served his one-game ban.
Hornets: Ball has now made a 3-pointer in 43 straight games. … Dennis Smith Jr. had 14 points but Charlotte’s bench was outplayed 39-28.
NEXT
Magic: Host Knicks on Tuesday night.
Hornets: Visit Washington on Wednesday evening.
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