Orlando Magic (46-38) beat Charlotte Hornets (45-39) 121-90 at home on Friday, April 17. The final margin was 31 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Magic struck first, taking the opening quarter 38-16 and a 22-point lead after one. The Magic kept the pressure on with a 30-21 second quarter, carrying a 31-point lead into halftime.
The teams matched each other with 34 points apiece in the third quarter, so the Magic remained ahead by 31 entering the fourth. The teams matched each other with 19 points apiece in the fourth quarter, and the Magic closed regulation with a 121-90 lead.
Why it was lopsided
The Magic got more from their shots, finishing at 54.8% effective field-goal shooting compared with 41% for the Hornets. The Magic grabbed 28.9% of their own misses, while the Hornets recovered 15.6%. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
At roughly 103 possessions per team, the Magic produced 117.3 points per 100 possessions to 87.3 for the Hornets.
The Magic's reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 42-25.
Who stood out
Paolo Banchero was the game's biggest individual force for ORL: 25 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast on 9-17 shooting. His Game Score of 21.1 led everyone. His team was +17 with him on the floor.
LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 23 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast on 7-17 shooting, good for a 13.8 Game Score.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 47% for the Magic.
Across the last 8 meetings in our records, Orlando Magic lead 5-3.
The Magic are now 46-38, and the Hornets are 45-39. The Magic last five before this game: W-W-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.