Orlando Magic Grades: Charlotte Hornets 104, Orlando Magic 102
The Orlando Magic got themselves in the game heading down the wire. But Kemba Walker proved to be too much, making a big shot and burying the Magic again.
The Orlando Magic had scrambled to get back into the game. Mario Hezonja dug out a missed Bismack Biyombo free throw to reset the possession and Orlando quickly found Jonathon Simmons in the corner for an open 3-pointer. He missed it, but Bismack Biyombo was there to collect the rebound and power through the defense for a putback.
The Magic had a one-point lead on a difficult three-point play. The team was feeling it and making the little effort plays they need to win games. The Magic were scratching and clawing, overcoming their own turnovers and a nine-point deficit entering the fourth quarter. One they erased in a matter of two minutes.
Then Kemba Walker hit a 3-pointer. And all seemed normal again for the Charlotte Hornets in this rivalry.
Orlando’s late-game execution was fine, but that 3-pointer, hit over a contest from D.J. Augustin, seemed to deflate them. The All-Star point guard did it to them again, this time with a clutch shot rather than a scoring barrage — at least, it was not a blowout this time.
The Magic got a missed three from Evan Fournier, a ghastly bit of shot selection for the team as they were looking for someone to deliver late. And Nicolas Batum sidestepped his way to a 3-pointer.
The Hornets held on for an 104-102 victory over the Magic at Amway Center on Wednesday, sending the team to a disappointing defeat heading into the All-Star Break.
No one can doubt the Magic’s fight anymore. This is a team trying to do everything it can to win games now. They are chasing hard after rebounds and sacrificing and playing for each other in almost every way imaginable.
Their defeats are now coming down to the things they should — late-game execution and making or missing shots.
For much of the fourth quarter, the Magic were executing well. They got plenty of open shots and created plenty of good opportunities. The shots just would not fall. There is a disappointment in that for sure. The players want to win and are putting it all on the line to do so.
Orlando though dug itself a bit of a hole it was constantly climbing out of. The Magic were sloppy with the ball throughout the game — particularly in the third quarter when the Hornets opened as much as a 12-point lead. Mario Hezonja joked after the game that he looked up at halftime and saw the Magic down one and thought how.
Orlando committed 20 turnovers leading to 24 Charlotte points. It was a big deficit to climb out of. But the Magic never hung their heads and they kept fighting. They kept going after it and they found themselves ahead in the dying moments.
That is when Walker and his individual brilliance took over. Orlando did not have an answer at the end.
A. Mario Hezonja’s growth in his game can not be understated. And that is each game. It all seems to build on itself and he continues to get better and better. His confidence is only growing by leaps and bounds. He was again the most important player for the Magic on the floor, playing the most minutes in the game at 35 and leading the team in scoring with 21 points.<p>Hezonja’s shooting has come around (1-for-6 3-point shooting irked him afterward) and he has been aggressive and patient getting to the basket. Wild forays into the lane and ill-advised turnovers are quickly becoming rare. He has matured a lot in that area.</p><p>But his biggest contributions come in the little plays. He is far from a perfect defensive player. But he has shown a willingness to fight for his position and go after loose balls and rebounds that few guys have throughout the season. Those little plays matter. They are winning plays. Hezonja makes them regularly now.</p>. F. Orlando Magic. MARIO HEZONJA
C. As good and patient as Mario Hezonja has been of late, <a href=. G/F. Orlando Magic. EVAN FOURNIER
BISMACK BIYOMBO. B+. Bismack Biyombo is an extremely flawed player. No one is ever going to confuse him for a complete or long-term answer at center. And he gets his share of criticism. It is usually warranted. But he still does a lot of little things that become necessary for a team to win. He is willing to dig out rebounds — even if he cannot catch them cleanly — and challenge shots at the rim.<p>Outside of Mario Hezonja, no player was playing with the fire and the intensity to get this win quite like Bismack Biyombo. He finished with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.</p><p>Again, no one is expecting him to do that much offensively. But he was digging out offensive rebounds throughout the night and being someone the Hornets had to keep a body on. He changed several shots in the paint and made Charlotte a jump-shooting team for parts of the game.</p>. C. Orlando Magic
B-. <a href=. PG. Orlando Magic. D.J. AUGUSTIN
The Charlotte Hornets have had the Orlando Magic’s number — winning the last 10 meetings between the division rivals. Usually it takes Kemba Walker going off to put the game away, but that never really happened. Instead the Hornets had to fight after taking a lead in the third quarter and go through their own struggles.<p>It was not merely looking ahead to the All-Star Game. This looked like a game between two fairly mediocre teams. And the team with the better player and the shotmaking won. Charlotte probably could have done more to take advantage of Orlando’s turnovers into the end.</p><p>This game was all about Kemba Walker in the end. His four 3-pointers were killer and he delivered in the clutch. <a rel=. 24-33. 10th East. CHARLOTTE HORNETS. B
Next: Jonathan Isaac: 'I feel like I am back to where I was'
The Orlando Magic are on their All-Star Break now. They return to action next Thursday at the Amway Center against the New York Knicks.