The Orlando Magic faced a significant setback Friday in their quest to ascend the Eastern Conference standings, falling 124-115 to the lowly Charlotte Hornets. This loss comes on the heels of a three-game winning streak, including a recent victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Orlando's hope to capture the third seed was dashed by a red-hot performance from rookie Brandon Miller and the Hornets, who proved too much for the Magic to handle.
Paolo Banchero's call for maturity
The Hornets dominated from the outset of Friday's, finishing the first quarter with a 38-23 lead. Miller was the star, scoring 17 points in the first quarter alone on flawless shooting. He continued his onslaught from there, ending the first half with 26 points, leading the Hornets to a 67-52 advantage. Despite Orlando's attempts to narrow the gap, Miller concluded the game with 32 points, missing only two shots. The Magic's defense struggled, allowing the Hornets to make 15 three-pointers while 24 fast-break points.
Reflecting on the game and the season's challenges, Paolo Banchero, who finished with a near triple-double of 32 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, spoke about the need for Orlando to demonstrate greater maturity, especially with the playoffs on the horizon.
“I think it just starts as a team, we gotta be mature enough to not get on a high horse after a good win,” he said. “We gotta know that we just gotta put on the same performance again and again, consistency I think is the key to being a great team in the first quarter.”
Head Coach Jamahl Mosley addressed the team’s performance, highlighting areas for improvement and praising Miller’s outstanding contribution to the Hornets' victory.
“He didn’t miss a shot the whole first half. So, I’m very impressed with this young man and what he’s able to do… I’ve got to do a better job of preparing them for what this situation was going to be.'”
Playoff race intensifies: Magic's road ahead
Mosley highlighted the importance of learning from the defeat and preparing for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bulls.
“We got to reset, take some lessons from this one and how we have to approach the game,” Mosley stated, underlining the team's focus on bouncing back and refining their game plan.
Falling short in Charlotte leaves the Magic at 46-32, just behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hold a slightly better record of 46-31. The Cavaliers' recent form, which shows them going 4-6 in the last 10 games, has kept the race for the third seed open, with only a one-game difference between them and the Magic. The competitive nature of the standings suggests that Cleveland's challenging schedule ahead might offer Orlando an opportunity to leapfrog into a more favorable position as the season nears its conclusion.
Meanwhile, the Magic's quest for better playoff positioning received an indirect boost from the New York Knicks' recent to the Bulls, allowing them to maintain the fourth seed. With only five games remaining in the regular season, each matchup carries significant weight.
Orlando slated to face the Bulls on Sunday night at 3:00 p.m. (PT) at Kia Center. This game marks the beginning of a critical stretch for the Magic, including a three-game road trip, as they look to capitalize on any slip-ups by the Cavaliers to secure a stronger seed for the playoffs.
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