Orlando Magic Dominates Charlotte Hornets in Play-In Tournament

In Orlando, Paolo Banchero led the charge with 25 points as the Magic established a commanding 35-point lead by halftime, ultimately defeating the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 in a play-in tournament elimination game on Friday night.

This victory secured the Magic the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. They’re set to face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in a best-of-seven series starting Sunday, with the Pistons hosting the first game.

The Magic came out strong and physical right from the start, leaving the Hornets struggling to find their rhythm. Franz Wagner also made significant contributions, racking up 18 points along with seven rebounds and six assists.

Wendell Carter Jr. chipped in 16 points, shooting an impressive 6-of-7. Meanwhile, Desmond Bane added 13 points, and Jalen Suggs scored 12. It was a comprehensive team effort.

Orlando’s halftime lead of 31 points marked the largest midway advantage in the history of the play-in tournament, which has been around since 2021. The format allows four qualifying teams from each conference to compete for the final two playoff spots.

The Hornets, meanwhile, had LaMelo Ball leading their scoring with 23 points, though 21 of those came during the third quarter—by which time the game was all but decided. Orlando started with a 27-10 lead and pushed it to 68-33 as the first half was winding down. After that, Charlotte never managed to close the gap to within 20 points.

Miles Bridges, strangely enough, played the most games of any active player without making the playoffs, ending the night with 15 points. Brandon Miller and Conn Knuppel added 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Unfortunately for the Hornets, this marks their 10th consecutive season missing the playoffs. They got out-rebounded 49-34 and struggled, shooting only 34% from the floor, compared to Orlando’s 50% success rate.

The Magic have faced early playoff exits in the first round each of the last two seasons and haven’t advanced beyond that since 2010. Still, they have managed to hold their own against the Pistons this season, splitting their series with two wins and two losses. In contrast, the Hornets recently defeated the Magic in their last three matchups of the regular season and haven’t participated in the playoffs since 2016—the longest absence in the NBA.