What: Charlotte Hornets (17-51) (8-27 away) at Orlando Magic (40-28) (23-9 home)
When: 7:00pm Eastern
Where: Kia Center; Orlando, FL
How to watch: Bally Sports Southeast, NBA League Pass
Outfitting: Hornets–City (teal/mint), Magic–Icon (black)
Game Lines: Hornets +13.5, O/U 203.5
Injuries:
Hornets: LaMelo Ball-out (ankle), Cody Martin-out (ankle), Seth Curry-out (ankle), Mark Williams-out (back), Bryce McGowens-out (knee)
Magic: None
The Magic have pounced on the opportunity provided to them by the struggling 76ers and Heat. They’re surging at the right time and have seen themselves climb all the way to the five seed, and they’re tied in the win column with the four seed Knicks. They’re a legitimately good basketball team despite being the fourth youngest squad in the league.
They haven’t gotten quite the hype as another young team finding similar success in the Thunder, but that’s probably because of the makeup of the team. The Thunder have a superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a very hyped rookie in Chet Holmgren. The closest thing the Magic have to a superstar is Paolo Banchero, and he’s a few steps away from that level. They win as a cohesive unit that’s much better defensively than offensively. They rank fourth in the league in defensive rating compared to 22nd in offensive rating, and they play at the fifth slowest pace in the league. Not the most exciting team for casuals.
The idea of competing against a stellar defensive team is a nightmare for the Hornets right now. The offense has devolved back into a discombobulated mess with very little ball movement and seemingly no system to fall back on. They play with no pace and have been shooting more midrange jumpers than we’ve seen from a Hornets team in many years. That’s exactly what the Magic want. Only the Celtics and Bucks have enticed teams to shoot long twos more often, and the Hornets are likely to fall into that trap.
The Hornets’ best chance of winning this game is to drag the Magic into the mud and play a slow, ugly game. The Magic tend to exist in that state, but it’s probably the best chance the Hornets have. It’ll have to be a win where both teams score in the 90s.
