The Orlando Magic kept their season alive in dominant fashion, and they were successful for several reasons.
ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic made an emphatic statement on Friday and booked their ticket to the playoffs after routing the Charlotte Hornets, 121-90.
The Magic were highly productive in a variety of ways. Below were the keys to their victory in a game in which they trailed only once.
Coming out Aggressive
Before Friday’s do-or-die game, Magic guard Desmond Bane said that he would like for the team to lay it all on the line, and that is what they did.
From the first tip, Orlando swarmed the Hornets with a tenacious defensive effort while ensuring a productive start on the offensive end.
By the end of the first quarter, the Magic led, 38-16, demonstrating poise and urgency with Paolo Banchero leading the way.
Banchero’s Big Night
Before Friday, Banchero was dealing with his fair share of struggles in critical games.
Banchero shot 7/22 from the field, 0-5 from 3-point range and committed six turnovers in back-to-back games. The first was the final regular season game in which the Magic lost to the Boston Celtics and fell to the eighth seed, and the other came in a 109-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Orlando’s first play-in game.
After the loss to Philadelphia, Banchero acknowledged his shortcomings, and he put accountability into action against Charlotte by scoring a game-high 25 points, 12 of which came in the momentum-building first quarter.
Instead of settling for hesitant shots on the perimeter, Banchero used his size and strength to cut through Charlotte’s interior defense. By the final buzzer, he had converted nine of his 17 shot attempts.
No Easy Buckets
When the Hornets had an offensive possession, the Magic made sure to make it as difficult as possible.
Orlando committed to aggressive on-ball defense and rapid switching that kept Charlotte from successfully getting into its sets.
By the end of the game, the Hornets shot 33.7% from the floor and 26.7% from deep. LaMelo Ball was held to 23 points on 7-17 shooting, rookie Kon Knueppel scored missed seven of his 10 shot attempts and the Magic forced them into 16 turnovers.
Dominance Down Low
Orlando’s show of dominance occurred not just because Banchero played to his strengths, but the team as a whole.
The Magic, who finished the regular season at No. 27 in 3-point percentage, did not try to force shots from the perimeter. Instead, they used their size and strength in the paint.
Orlando outworked the Hornets, 64-28 in the painted area. It was a team-effort in securing rebounds, penetrating Charlotte’s coverages and producing put-backs. The Magic outscored the Hornets in fast break points, 24-7.
A Jubilant Crowd
After Wednesday’s loss to the 76ers, Banchero called on the Magic faithful to bring energy to Friday’s game against the Magic, and they responded.
With the ‘Sixth Man’ banner hanging above them in the Kia Center to commemorate their presence, Magic fans remained loud and jubilant; filling the building with deafening applause and cheers.
Next Up
Friday’s win locked the Magic into the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and set up a first-round playoff series with the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Game 1 will be played on Sunday in Detroit at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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