Franz Wagner led the Magic, putting up 21 points on the night and Jonathan Isaac buried three triples in the all-important fourth quarter, as the Orlando Magic were able to put three subpar quarters out of their mind to beat the host Charlotte Hornets by 11, 95-84 on Monday night.
Energized by their lethal shooting from the perimeter, the Magic turned a four-point deficit, 62-58, into a comfortable 88-77 advantage in the final frame and ruined a spectacular individual performance from Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, who is turning into a superstar before our very eyes.
Four reserves came off the bench for the Magic and contributed double-digit points. Moritz Wagner (16 points), Cole Anthony (16), Isaac (11) and Anthony Black (10) came through in the clutch as the Magic won for the ninth time in their last 10 games. The Magic are doing all of this without their best player, former No. 1 overall pick out of Duke, Paolo Banchero.
Ball was everything for the Hornets on Monday, racking up 44 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while teammate Brandon Miller chipped in a double-double, with 20 points and 10 boards. Ball made an incredible 17 of 30 shots from the field, nailing four 3-pointers on 11 attempts.
The Hornets, who kicked off an extended five-game homestand, had won their last four games at the Spectrum Center. Charlotte, who was careless with the ball, had an embarrassing 27 turnovers, has now dropped four of its past five games overall.
Orlando’s Gary Harris, a starting guard, was finished after only seven minutes of action due to a strained left hamstring. When called into duty, Black was able to pick up the slack in Harris’ absence.
Anthony got Orlando going in the fourth with the team’s first five points of the period. Then Issac was the catalyst in helping the Magic take over.
Orlando outscored the Hornets 37-22 over the final 12 minutes, but they still shot an ice cold 39.4 percent from the field for the game. The Hornets were not much better, shooting 41.3 percent overall.
Ball hit a late 3-pointer to send the Hornets into the locker room with a 46-42 lead. He had 19 points before the break, while Miller added 11.
With just under seven minutes to go in the third quarter, it was obvious that Ball was in for a huge night, reaching the 25-point mark on a pair of free throws to give the Hornets a 54-49 edge.
The Magic were not discouraged by his electricity, and they trailed by only four, 62-58, heading into the fourth.
The Orlando starters were held to a whisper and none of them had more than six points in the first half.
Orlando got manhandled on the glass 52-39 against an undersized Charlotte team without its top two centers. As stated earlier, guard Gary Harris sustained a hamstring injury in the first quarter and did not return.
With their depth compromised due to injuries, Mark Williams, Nick Richards, Grant Williams and Tre Mann out, Ball and Miller had to play extended minutes. Coach Charles Lee went deep into his bench by playing rookie K.J. Simpson and Nick Smith Jr., which severely impacted chemistry on the floor.
The Magic host Coby White and the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
The Hornets host Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
