Magic beat Hornets to end 3-1 road trip, match last season’s win total
As cliché as it sounds — or ultimately might be — Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley has reiterated the same message about his team’s approach throughout the season: By committee.
That mindset was on full display in the Magic’s 119-113 Sunday matinee win over the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.
Despite being without Mo Bamba and Jalen Suggs as a result of the league’s penalties from Friday’s on-court altercation at the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero not having their most efficient scoring games, the Magic (22-32) hardly missed a beat.
Led by Banchero’s 22 points (6-of-20 shooting but 10 of 11 on free throws), 10 rebounds and 5 assists, all 10 Magic players who received playing time scored at least 6 points, including 9 who scored 8-plus.
“That has been Coach’s motto to us all year,” Banchero said. “That’s how we are going to win with everyone chipping in.”
The Magic pummeled Charlotte on the offensive glass, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds for 20 second-chance points.
They once again locked in defensively in the middle two quarters, weathering another slow defensive start after allowing the Hornets to take a 37-28 first-quarter lead.
Orlando held the Hornets to 48 combined points in the second and third quarters to take a 90-85 lead heading into the fourth.
“They did a great job communicating and talking out different coverages,” Mosley said. “Obviously, they got a couple quick ones as they started to speed the game up, but our guys did a really good job communicating, covering for one another and just competing. It’s the last game of a long road trip, and think that’s a great way to end it.”
Pulling out the victory didn’t come easy for the Magic.
The Hornets (15-40), who were paced by point guard LaMelo Ball’s 33 points, took a 91-90 edge early in the fourth quarter and later led 95-92.
But the Magic found their level, stayed composed and leaned on their defense and a variety of shotmaking down the stretch: a Caleb Houstan 3 to give the Magic a 101-97 lead with 7:29 remaining plus Moe Wagner (8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists) scoring in bunches.
Markelle Fultz (16 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go with 5 assists and 3 steals) knocked down a pair of midrange shots in the closing moments, with the second putting the Magic up 112-103 with 2:18 remaining.
Orlando held onto its lead from there to go 3-1 on the road trip.
The Magic already have matched their win total from last season, with 28 regular-season games remaining.
Wendell Carter Jr., who sat Friday because of strained right plantar fascia — the soft tissue under the foot — had a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double to go with 3 assists.
Franz Wagner had 14 points but on 5-of-16 shooting.
The Magic’s bench combined for 39 points, led by Cole Anthony’s 9 points (4-of-8 shooting) and 5 assists. The second unit gave Orlando its first lead at 40-39 midway through the second quarter.
Jonathan Isaac had 6 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block in a season-high 11 minutes.
Houstan, the Magic’s second-round pick from last year’s draft, had 8 points on 3-of-4 shooting in his first game with Orlando since Jan. 10 and his first time playing rotation minutes for the Magic since Jan. 5.
He’s had a couple of stints with the organization’s G League team, the Lakeland Magic, over the last few weeks.
“His ability to stay ready,” Mosley said of Houstan’s attributes. “Our coaches do a great job with him. His ability to go to the G League, play well there, keep his rhythm, get some reps up. But then defensively his ability to be in the right position, offensive rebounding and obviously his ability to shoot the basketball, space the floor the right way.”
The Magic will return to Orlando for a three-game homestand starting with Tuesday’s matchup vs. the New York Knicks.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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