Charlotte Hornets (36-34) beat Orlando Magic (38-31) 130-111 at home on Thursday, March 19, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hornets struck first, taking the opening quarter 34-32 and a 2-point lead after one. The Hornets kept the pressure on with a 38-21 second quarter, carrying a 19-point lead into halftime.
The Hornets won the third 38-24 to create some separation, taking a 33-point lead into the fourth. The Magic took the fourth 34-20; the Hornets held on for a 130-111 regulation win.
What decided it
The Hornets got more from their shots, finishing at 66.3% effective field-goal shooting compared with 49.5% for the Magic. The Hornets made 30 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 20.4 for the Magic. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Magic did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 13.4 against 21.2. The Hornets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 104 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 124.9 points per 100 possessions to 106.7 for the Magic.
The Hornets' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 61-46.
Who made the difference
Brandon Miller was the game's biggest individual force for CHA: 25 pts, 4 reb, 8 ast on 8-14 shooting. His Game Score of 22.8 led everyone. His team was +27 with him on the floor.
Desmond Bane led the Magic with 24 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast on 8-15 shooting, good for a 20 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hornets about a 74% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Orlando Magic lead 5-2.
The Hornets are now 36-34, and the Magic are 38-31. The Hornets last five before this game: L-W-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.