- How To Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Orlando), FanDuel Sports Network Southeast - Charlotte (Charlotte), NBA League Pass
- STREAM MAGIC-HORNETS ON FUBO TV
- How to Listen: WYGM 96.9 FM/740 AM (Orlando), WFNZ 92.7 FM (Charlotte), NBA Audio League Pass, SiriusXM Channel 212 (Magic)
- FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
- Tickets: $13-$269+ on StubHub
- Season Series: Magic 114, Hornets 89 on Nov. 12; Magic 95, Hornets 84 in Charlotte on Nov. 25; Tonight in Orlando; March 25 in Charlotte
Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch
Charlotte | Orlando | |
|---|---|---|
98.1 | Pace | 96.7 |
108.2 | Off. Rtg. | 107.2 |
113.4 | Def. Rtg. | 109.0 |
50.7 | eFG% | 50.4 |
31.7 | O.Reb.% | 30.4 |
15.5 | TO% | 15.2 |
22.8 | FTR | 26.9 |
3. Franz vs. Charlotte
There are few teams Franz Wagner appears to love playing more than the Charlotte Hornets. He has had some of his best game and breakthrough scoring performances against the Hornets. And considering how short-handed the Hornets are entering Wednesday's game and the roll Wagner is on.
Wagner scored 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the NBA Cup win at the Kia Center in November. He had 21 points and seven assists in the second matchup in Charlotte.
For his career, Wagner is averaging 17.9 points per game and shooting 53.8 percent in 13 games against the Hornets in his career.
Wagner right now is on a tear too. Coming off a 37-point game against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, he is averaging 27.8 points per game and shooting 46.1 percent on 21.9 field goal attempts in the 10 games since returning. He has scored fewer than 20 points just once since then.
2. Shooting success?
This is going to be said in a whisper and a low hush: But maybe the Orlando Magic are starting to make shots?
Crazy, I know. The Magic are last in the league in 3-point shooting and shooting the worst percentage the league has seen in more than a decade.
But there are hints the Magic are starting to find their stroke. As small as those steps might be.
In Orlando's last four games, the team is shooting 35.2 percent. And that is dragged down by the 5-for-31 shooting in the loss to the Denver Nuggets. That is. . . progress?
Orlando has never needed to shoot particularly well to win. The Magic are 16-5 when they shoot 33.0 percent or better from three and 5-1 when they shoot 40.0 percent or better. Notably, Monday's game was that rare loss when the Magic shoot well.
But the last four games have established a trend of at least shooting passably. And that is a good sign as the team heads for the All-Star Break.
1. Win what you are supposed to
As you will see in a moment, the Charlotte Hornets' injury list is quite long. Quite long. It looks like the Orlando Magic's injury report from about a month ago with six of the team's top seven scorers OUT for Wednesday's game.
That explains why the Magic are such heavy favorites in this game. But no team should understand how dangerous an undermanned team can be than the Magic. Orlando thrived on knocking teams off kilter with effort when they were undermanned. The Magic need a good game to get this win.
Orlando has to get back to winning these kinds of games.
Orlando is still 18-10 against teams with a record below .500. That is still one of the best marks in the Eastern Conference. But the Magic have lost six of their last seven against teams with a record below .500.
These are the games Orlando is expected to win. Especially against contemporaries like the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. The Magic must win this game to have good vibes going into the break.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic: Injury Report & Projected Lineups
Charlotte Hornets Injury Report
- LaMelo Ball - OUT (Right Ankle Soreness)
- Brandon Miller - OUT (Right Wrist Ligament Repair)
- Tre Mann - OUT (Disc Herniation)
- Mark Williams - OUT (Not With Team)
- Grant Williams - OUT (Right ACL Repair)
- Josh Okogie - OUT (Left Hamstring Strain)
- Moussa Diabate - QUESTIONABLE (Right Eye Abrasion)
- Isaiah Wong - PROBABLE (Right Foot Soreness)
Orlando Magic Injury Report
- Jalen Suggs - DOUBTFUL (Left Quad Contusion)
- Moe Wagner - OUT (Left Knee Torn ACL)
- Mac McClung - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Ethan Thompson - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Projected Lineups
Charlotte | Orlando | |
|---|---|---|
KJ Simpson | PG | Cole Anthony |
Nick Smith Jr. | SG | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope |
Josh Green | SF | Franz Wagner |
Miles Bridges | PF | Paolo Banchero |
Moussa Diabate | C | Goga Bitadze |
Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic: Prediction
Our Record: 30-25/27-28 ATS
The Orlando Magic are showing hints of coming out of this dark 4-6 weeks they have gone through. Even Monday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks showed signs of the team playing with the right spirit and energy even if some of the urgency, as Franz Wagner put it, and some details were missing down the stretch.
The Magic are starting to look like themselves again. They just need to get all the stars aligned.
An undermanned and struggling Charlotte Hornets team is a good opportunity to assert that will and get that feeling and repetition of winning the Magic way once again. That should be all that is on everyone's mind.
But beware, the last game before the All-Star Game is always tricky. It is easy for everyone to look ahead to the break. And this team needs a break in the worst way to recuperate and refocus.
That refocus should come with this game. Everyone senses how vital every game is. It has to start Wednesday heading into the break.