In a hard-fought game against Charlotte, the Orlando Magic kept their nerve in the final minutes. Franz Wagner showed strong nerves from the free throw line and Paolo Banchero led the team again as top scorer.
For the fourth time in a row, Paolo Banchero scored over 30 points – but it was a strong finish by the entire Magic team that proved decisive in Charlotte. Franz Wagner, in particular, took responsibility in the last two minutes and drained five of his six free throws in the decisive run. The German forward finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists, but was rather pale from the field (8/22).
The Hornets kept in contention for long spells, led by LaMelo Ball, who impressed with 25 points and nine assists. However, after Nick Smith Jr. equalized with just under two and a half minutes left on the clock, Orlando went on a 7-0 run to put the game to bed. A slam-dunk from Anthony Black put the visitors back in front, after which Wagner took over from the line.
Wendell Carter Jr. collected 11 rebounds, while Banchera himself contributed seven rebounds and six assists in addition to his points. The Magic played a controlled game, only conceding eight turnovers, to celebrate their fifth win in their last seven games.
NBA: The Magic and Hornets’ next games
The Magic have two home games coming up: On Thursday, they will host the Dallas Mavericks (Friday, 12:00 a.m. German time), followed by the Sacramento Kings in Orlando on Saturday evening at 10:00 p.m. The Hornets will play the Toronto Raptors on Friday evening (Saturday, 12:30 a.m. German time).
