The Orlando Magic extended their winning streak in the NBA, winning their ninth game in their last ten meetings with a 95-84 victory at the Charlotte Hornets. The focus was once again on Franz Wagner.
The 2023 world champion led his team to victory with 21 points, seven assists and one rebound. The German international took command, particularly in the final quarter, scoring 13 points that put Orlando on the road to victory.
He received strong support from his brother Moritz Wagner and Cole Anthony, who both scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds. German rookie Tristan da Silva also made an impression, contributing a solid nine points. The Magic once again presented themselves as a cohesive team and benefited in particular from their deep bench, which outclassed the Hornets 53:15.
LaMelo ball is convincing, but turnovers break the Hornets’ necks
For the Hornets, LaMelo ball was the standout man. The 22-year-old scored 44 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out seven assists. He thus confirmed his strong form after recently breaking the 50-point mark against Milwaukee. But Ball was also part of the problem: he and Brandon Miller (20 points, ten rebounds) combined for 13 turnovers.
Charlotte conceded a total of 27 turnovers, from which Orlando generated a whopping 33 points. In addition, the Hornets lacked presence under the basket due to injuries, which repeatedly allowed the Magic to score easy points.
Defense and bench the key to the Magic’s victory
Despite a poor field goal percentage of just 39%, Orlando impressively demonstrated how strong its defense is at the moment. Time and again, the team of Head Coach Jamahl Mosley forced the Hornets into making mistakes and held them to just 15 points in the final period. Thanks to its defensive stability and strong performances from the bench, Orlando remains in third place in the Eastern Conference and continues to be one of the hottest teams in the league.
On Wednesday, the Magic face Chicago before facing DBB captain Dennis Schröder and the Brooklyn Nets.