The Orlando Magic defeated the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 in the NBA playoffs to earn the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Orlando will now face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs starting Sunday.
Paulo Banchero scored 25 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 1 block to lead the Magic. Franz Wagner finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Wendell Carter Jr. also added 16 points (on three-pointers) and six rebounds.
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Orlando put the Hornets in trouble early with suffocating defense and accurate shooting. The Magic committed four turnovers and blocked two shots in the first 12 minutes and went on a 10-0 and 13-0 run to take control of the game. Hornets coach Charles Lee called timeouts twice in an attempt to slow down Orlando, but it didn’t work.
After the first quarter, the Magic led 38-16 and shot 67% (16 of 24). Banchero got off to a hot start, scoring 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Carter followed with 10 points and made all four of his field goals.
The Hornets shot 25% (5-for-20) from the field thanks to the Magic’s tight defense, while their three-point-reliant offense (Charlotte averaged 43.3 three-pointers per game) came up empty, going 3-for-10 from beyond the arc in the opening 12 minutes.
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Orlando didn’t let up in the second quarter, continuing to apply defensive pressure and forcing the Hornets to settle for poor shots. The Magic blocked five shots in the first half and held Charlotte to 34% shooting. LaMelo Ball only scored two points, in part due to three personal fouls.
Miles Bridges showed his frustration when he was called for a technical foul after pushing Desmond Bane after a loose ball foul.
Ball scored 21 points in the second half and finished with 23 points in the game, but the outcome was decided. Bridges scored 15 points and Brandon Miller scored 14 points, making 4 of 7 three-pointers. Rookie of the Year contender Con Knuppel scored 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting (1-for-6 from 3-point range).
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Game 1 of the first-round NBA playoff series between the Magic and Pistons is scheduled for Sunday at 6:30 pm Eastern Time. The two teams each won two of four games in the regular season series.