Paolo Banchero dominates as Magic crush Hornets in NBA Play-In Tournament

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Paolo Banchero led the way with 25 points as the Orlando Magic delivered a commanding performance to defeat the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 in a SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament elimination game on Friday night.

The victory secured the No. 8 seed for the Magic in the Eastern Conference playoffs, setting up a series against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons starting Sunday.

Orlando established their dominance early on with a strong physical presence, leaving the Hornets struggling to keep up. Franz Wagner contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists to the winning effort.

Other key contributors for the Magic included Wendell Carter Jr. with 16 points, Desmond Bane with 13, and Jalen Suggs with 12 points.

At halftime, Orlando held a commanding 31-point lead, the largest halftime lead in the history of the Play-In Tournament, which has been in place since 2021.

Despite a strong performance from LaMelo Ball, who scored 23 points, the Hornets were unable to narrow the gap after falling behind early in the game. Miles Bridges added 15 points for Charlotte, while Brandon Miller scored 14 and Kon Knueppel contributed 11.

The Hornets, who have not made the playoffs in a decade, were outmatched by the Magic in rebounding and shooting percentage, with Orlando shooting an impressive 50% from the field.

Looking ahead, the Magic will aim to progress further in the playoffs after early exits in the last two seasons, while the Hornets will be left to reflect on their prolonged playoff drought, which extends back to 2016, the longest active streak in the NBA.