CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — The Charlotte Hornets used a dominant second quarter to pull away from the Orlando Magic and secure a 130-111 victory on Thursday night at Spectrum Center. A 38-point second period by the Hornets, fueled by balanced scoring, turned a close game into a commanding 72-53 halftime lead. Charlotte maintained a double-digit advantage throughout the second half before a crowd of 19,565. Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 25 points and eight assists. Coby White added 27 points and five assists. For Orlando, Desmond Bane scored 24 points and Paolo Banchero had 20 points and seven assists. The Hornets improved to 36-34, while the Magic fell to 38-31.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — In a pivotal late-season clash with playoff implications, the Charlotte Hornets used a dominant first-half offensive explosion to overpower the Orlando Magic 130-111 on Thursday night at Spectrum Center. A crowd of 19,565 watched the Hornets improve to 36-34, pulling within two games of the Magic, who fell to 38-31 in the Eastern Conference standings. The game’s decisive stretch came in the second quarter, where Charlotte outscored Orlando 38-21, turning a narrow 34-32 lead after one period into a commanding 72-53 halftime advantage. The Hornets’ offense was a model of efficiency and balance, led by Brandon Miller. The forward from Nashville, Tennessee, scored 25 points and dished out eight assists in just 28 minutes, orchestrating the attack. He was complemented by a backcourt barrage from Coby White, who poured in 27 points with five assists, and LaMelo Ball, who added 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Charlotte’s offensive execution was near flawless in the middle periods. After the Magic kept pace in a high-scoring first quarter that ended with the Hornets up 34-32, Charlotte seized control. A 17-4 run early in the second quarter, fueled by three-pointers from White and Kon Knueppel and relentless transition play, stretched the lead to 51-36. The Hornets shot a blistering percentage from the field in the frame, consistently finding open looks against a scrambling Orlando defense. The Magic, led by Desmond Bane’s 24 points and seven rebounds and Paolo Banchero’s 20 points and seven assists, had no answer for the sustained onslaught. Every Orlando attempt to rally in the third quarter was met with an immediate Charlotte response, often a three-pointer from Miller or a driving score from Ball. The Hornets matched their second-quarter output with another 38-point period in the third, extending their lead to 110-77 and effectively putting the game out of reach. Orlando showed fight in the fourth quarter, outscoring Charlotte’s reserves 34-20 behind Jamal Cain’s 15 points, but the deficit was far too large to overcome. The Magic’s 34-point final period only served to narrow the final margin. Knueppel provided significant support for Charlotte with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists, while center Ryan Kalkbrenner added 13 points and five rebounds. For Orlando, Jevon Carter scored 11 points off the bench. The victory was a measure of revenge for the Hornets, who split the season series 2-2 after Orlando had won the previous meeting. More importantly, it bolstered Charlotte’s position in the play-in tournament chase while halting the Magic’s momentum as they jockey for playoff seeding. National Statistical’s ELO system had projected Charlotte with a 74.3% probability to win, and the Hornets covered the pregame spread of -4. The total score of 241 points went over the over/under line of 226.5. Both teams return to action on Saturday. The Hornets will host the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Magic return home to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — The Orlando Magic look to solidify their playoff positioning and avenge two recent losses to the Charlotte Hornets when the teams meet Thursday night at Spectrum Center. Orlando (38-29) enters the contest having won seven of its last 10 games but is coming off a 124-112 road loss to Atlanta on Monday. The Magic currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte (34-34) has been inconsistent, alternating wins and losses in its last six games and sitting at .500, just outside the play-in tournament picture. The season series is tied 1-1, with each team winning on the other’s home floor. The Hornets, however, have dominated the last two meetings, winning by 27 and 15 points in January and December, respectively. Orlando’s lone win came in Charlotte on Oct. 30, 2025. A key matchup will feature Orlando’s All-Star forward Paolo Banchero against Charlotte’s Miles Bridges. Banchero has been on a tear, averaging 24.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists over his last 10 games, including a 33-point, 5-rebound, 3-assist performance in a rout of Milwaukee on March 8. Bridges is coming off a 22-point effort in a loss to San Antonio and has provided steady scoring for the Hornets, though his rebounding numbers have fluctuated. The Magic’s recent success has been fueled by a high-powered offense, scoring at least 115 points in eight of their last ten contests. Charlotte’s defense, which allowed 115 points in a loss to San Antonio last time out, will be tested. The Hornets have shown they can be explosive offensively, as evidenced by a 29-point win over Boston on March 4, but have struggled for consistency. For Orlando, a victory would help distance them from the crowded middle of the conference standings. For Charlotte, a win is crucial to gain ground and break back above .500 as the regular season enters its final weeks. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT.