The Orlando Magic did not close out 2018 on a positive note, getting beat up by Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets in familiar fashion.
The Orlando Magic had cut the lead down to a single possession. Their play was imperfect, but they found enough strong defensive play to keep the deficit within range and give themselves a chance.
Like so many times throughout the first half, the strong play was gone. Kemba Walker broke them.
The pick and roll defense got loose and Walker got into the lane or pulled up for three. The Magic had no answer to corral him or make him pay.
So as the second quarter buzzer was drawing near, they had three men committed to stopping Walker in the lane. But he drew them all in and hooked a difficult pass around the defense to Malik Monk in the corner for a three.
He drained the basket to give the Charlotte Hornets a 10-point lead heading to the locker room.
Orlando had one more run in them. But that was it. Walker and the Hornets went inside and out of the Magic defense, keeping them loose. Eventually, the whole team snapped, unable to keep up offensively. The offensive movement slowed to a crawl and the lead got out of hand once again as the Hornets defeated the Magic 125-100 at Spectrum Center on Monday.
This was not merely the team’s lack of a consistent point guard with both D.J. Augustin and Jonathon Simmons missing the game with sprained ankles suffered in Sunday’s game. It did not help either that Nikola Vucevic left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. The FOX Sports Florida broadcast said he would have returned if the game was still in the balance.
This was a breakdown on several levels for the Magic. Their inconsistent effort defending Walker in pick and rolls was apparent. Walker scored 20 of his 24 in the first half, taking it to the Magic early. But he dished out seven assists and found hard-working contributions from Monk.
The Magic’s offense was a far bigger concern. Orlando shot just 41.3 percent from the floor and made only 10 of 35 3-pointers. Those 35 3-point attempts suggested the team was settling for outside shots rather than getting into the paint. Orlando tallied 22 assists on the team’s 38 field goal makes.
It was a night to forget as the Magic continue their road trip.
The Orlando Magic will continue their road trip Wednesday in Chicago against the Chicago Bulls.