During the Sunday NBA slate, the Orlando Magic beat the Charlotte Hornets 119-113 after converting 22 points and 10 rebounds from Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., and Brandon Jennings.
During the fourth quarter, the Hornets hit just one of nine free throws, while Orlando hit 13 of 15. In its fourth straight loss, Charlotte shot 11 of 23 from the line compared to 27 of 30 for Orlando.
“You’re going to lose doing that,” Hornets guard LaMelo Ball said. “It’s very frustrating.”
With 16 points from Markelle Fultz and 14 points from Frank Wagner, the Magic improved to 9-19 on the road. With a 3-1 record, Orlando completes its four-game road trip.
“It shows our resilience and that we can go out and compete with some of the best teams in the league,” Carter said of the road trip, which included wins at Philadelphia and Minnesota.
NBA SCORES & NEWS: Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic, LaMelo Ball & Charlotte Hornets Updates
Magic survived 26 of Ball’s 33 points after the break, and he finished with six 3-pointers. The Hornets were led by Terry Rozier, who scored 21 points in the first half.
After three quarters, Charlotte trailed by five points, but Ball hit back-to-back 3s in the fourth period to tie the game at 91. With Fultz often scoring on short-range jumpers and going 8 of 13 from the field, the Magic built a 110-103 lead. During that span, Charlotte missed four straight free throws and a layup, allowing the Magic to begin pulling away.
Within 35 seconds left, Wagner sealed the Magic’s victory with a step-through layup to put them up 115-107. Jamahl Mosley was pleased with how his team responded after Ball hit two 3s to open the fourth quarter. As a result, Orlando responded by outscoring the Hornets 29-22 and limiting them to 10 of 23 shooting from the floor and just one three-pointer.
NBA SCORES & NEWS: Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic, LaMelo Ball & Charlotte Hornets Updates
“Our guys did a really good job communicating, covering for one another and just competing,” Mosley said. “It’s the last game of a long road trip, and think that’s a great way to end it.”
Carter explained further: “I think we locked into our game plan when it mattered and got stops when we needed them.”
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