Hornets Outpace Magic in Orlando as Charlotte’s Hot Shooting Proves Too Much
Before tipoff Friday night, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley offered a bit of a warning: don’t let Charlotte’s record fool you. Despite the Hornets entering the game at 10-20, Mosley emphasized that Orlando needed to lock in on the fundamentals and not overlook a team with more talent than its win-loss column suggests.
Turns out, he was spot on.
The Hornets rolled into a sold-out Kia Center and left with a convincing 120-105 win, handing the Magic one of their more humbling losses of the season. Charlotte dominated the glass, outrebounding Orlando 53-42 and generating a staggering 25 second-chance points. That kind of effort on the boards, combined with red-hot shooting from deep, proved to be the difference.
Charlotte had seven players score in double figures, led by LaMelo Ball’s 22 points. As a team, the Hornets shot an impressive 48.7% from beyond the arc, knocking down 19 of 39 attempts. That kind of shooting stretches any defense thin - and Orlando simply couldn’t keep up.
The Magic, now 17-14, struggled to find any offensive rhythm. They hit just 11 of 35 from three-point range (31.4%) and couldn’t string together enough stops to mount a meaningful comeback after falling behind by as many as 24 in the third quarter.
Missing Pieces, Mixed Results
Orlando was once again without key starters Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Jalen Suggs (left hip bruise), which meant another start for rookie Anthony Black and veteran Tyus Jones. They joined Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, and Wendell Carter Jr. in the starting five.
Black continued his strong stretch of play. After scoring 19 or more in each of his previous four games, he dropped 24 points in 36 minutes, including four made threes. He came out hot, hitting his first three shots from deep and carrying much of the offensive load in the first half.
But while Black was dialed in, Orlando’s usual go-to scorers had a rough night.
Desmond Bane got off to a decent start attacking the rim, reaching 10 points by halftime. But foul trouble derailed his night. He picked up his fourth foul early in the fourth quarter and his fifth just two minutes later, finishing with 15 points and three turnovers.
Paolo Banchero never quite found his rhythm. He missed his first three shots and never looked comfortable, finishing 4-for-13 from the floor with just 13 points in 31 minutes. He and Bane combined to go 0-for-8 from deep - a tough stat line on a night when Orlando desperately needed perimeter scoring.
Bench Battle Lost
The Magic got a boost from Tristan da Silva, who returned after missing four games with a right shoulder bruise. The second-year forward hit his first three and scored eight points in the first half, but that’s where his scoring ended.
Overall, Orlando’s bench was outscored 41-29 by Charlotte’s second unit - another area where the Hornets simply outworked and outperformed the Magic.
Goga Bitadze missed his second straight game with a left knee strain, thinning out Orlando’s frontcourt rotation and putting more pressure on the starters to carry the load.
Rookie Watch
With the Magic shorthanded, rookies Jase Richardson and Noah Penda saw early minutes. Penda struggled to get going offensively, missing his first three shots and logging just eight minutes through the first three quarters.
Richardson, however, found his groove late. He hit a three-pointer in the third quarter and finished with 14 points in 22 minutes - a solid showing that could earn him more trust in the rotation moving forward.
On the other side, Charlotte’s No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel was lights out in limited action. He scored 16 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting from deep before exiting in the second half with a right ankle injury.
Looking Ahead
The Magic won’t have much time to dwell on this one. They’re back at the Kia Center on Saturday night for the second half of a back-to-back, and the challenge only gets tougher. Nikola Jokić and the defending champion Nuggets - who beat Orlando by 11 earlier this month - are in town for their only visit of the season.
With Wagner and Suggs still sidelined, the Magic will need sharper execution, more discipline defensively, and better shot-making if they want to bounce back against one of the league’s elite.
Off the Court: Magic Make a Big Impact
While the on-court performance left something to be desired, the Magic continued their tradition of giving back in a big way off the court.
At halftime, the organization surprised a local family with an incredible holiday gift package as part of the NBA Cares Season of Giving. The family received a brand-new 2026 Kia Sorento EX, $5,000 toward home furnishings, a year’s worth of meals from Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, a vacation stay at Caribe Royale, and a host of other gifts including electronics, kitchen appliances, and essentials - all designed to help ease their burden during difficult times.
It marked the 17th straight year the Magic have hosted a family for “The Big Give,” a reminder that while wins and losses matter, the team’s impact goes far beyond the hardwood.