Home BASKETBALL NBA Magic Rout Hornets to Clinch East’s No. 8 Seed, Face Pistons

Magic Rout Hornets to Clinch East’s No. 8 Seed, Face Pistons

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Orlando Magic Vs Charlotte
Orlando crushes Charlotte to secure final East playoff spot

Final: Magic 121-90 Hornets  
Banchero: 25 PTS  
Orlando takes 8th seed  
Next: Round 1 vs Pistons  
Hornets eliminated  


Magic send Hornets back to their nest in dominant win to claim East's No. 8 seed...


The Orlando Magic routed the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 to keep their season alive as the NBA playoffs' final spots were decided Friday.


Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 25 points to set up a daunting first-round playoff matchup for the Magic against the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Detroit Pistons.


It was Orlando’s last chance to qualify for the postseason through the play-in tournament after falling short in their first attempt against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.




A physical, tough Magic side outmuscled the youthful Hornets from the opening tip of the win-or-go-home clash in front of a sellout 19,000 crowd at Orlando’s Kia Center.


Banchero bulldozed Charlotte’s defense, pouring in 12 points in the first quarter alone.


After never trailing by more than a single point, Orlando soon pulled comfortably clear, building a massive 35-point lead just before halftime.




Recovering from a sluggish start, LaMelo Ball - the hero of the Hornets' first play-in win over Miami on Tuesday - exploded after the break.


He poured in 21 points in the third quarter alone as he tried to single-handedly extend Charlotte’s season.




But Orlando’s lead never dipped below 20 points, and the Magic cruised to victory over a Charlotte side that had ended the regular season in strong form.




The win ensured the Magic reached the playoffs for a third straight season, while the Hornets’ decade-long wait goes on.



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