The Orlando Magic insist that they are just beginning to impact the game, and they may be right.
WHAT IS GOING ON IN ORLANDO, FL?
DEFENCE STRUGGLES
The players back each other up with the enthusiasm you’d find on a college team
Victories continue to pile up at a pace this sun-drenched but tireless fan base has not seen in more than a decade
THE ORLANDO MIZZULKA MIZZULGA ARE THE EASTERN CONFERENCE’S BIGGEST SURPRISE THIS SEASON
They’re precocious and they’re relentless. They’re the best thing that’s happened in the East this season, and they might even be better than the Minnesota Timberwolves or Oklahoma City Thunder in the West.
Magic stun Hornets to snap seven-game losing streak
November 27 – Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony scored 30 points apiece as the Orlando Magic extended their winning streak to seven games, beating the visiting Charlotte Hornets 130-117 on Sunday.
Paolo Banchero had 23 points, Jalen Suggs scored 12 and Goga Bitadze contributed 11 points and seven rebounds for Orlando, which has won seven consecutive games for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Moritz Wagner added 11 points and seven rebounds.
Miles Bridges paced Charlotte with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Terry Rozier collected 22 points and nine assists, Brandon Miller had 20 points, P.J. Washington 13 and Mark Williams added 12.
Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball had seven points before exiting midway through the second quarter with a right ankle strain. Ball had to be helped to the locker room after colliding with Banchero near the basket.
The Hornets, coming off back-to-back wins over Boston and Washington, never had a double-digit lead against Orlando in the second half.
Wagner and Anthony each scored a season-high 19 points as Orlando shot 54 percent overall, including 37 percent from three-point range (10 of 27). The Magic also had 33 assists, improving to 9-0 when scoring 110 or more points this season.
Orlando took a six-point lead into the fourth quarter and moved ahead 120-104 after Franz Wagner drilled a 3-pointer with 4:22 remaining. Banchero sealed the victory with a 3-pointer to put the Magic ahead by 14 with 1:11 left.
Charlotte ended the first quarter with a 33-25 lead after closing on a 7-2 run. Gordon Hayward scored seven points for the Hornets, who shot 15 of 22 (68.2 percent) in the opening period.
Orlando’s Gary Harris hit a 3-pointer early in the second quarter to tie the game at 39-39, and the Magic took a 61-57 lead into the break. Franz Wagner scored 12 points in the half to lead the Magic. Terry Rozier scored 13 for the Hornets
