Charlotte Hornets Rout the Orlando Magic to Secure Their Third Straight Win
The Charlotte Hornets were able to blow out the Orlando Magic at home as MKG, Nic Batum, and Kemba led the way with their outstanding play.
VS.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
| Hornets | 20 | 32 | 39 | 18 | 109 |
| Magic | 21 | 25 | 24 | 18 | 88 |
The Charlotte Hornets (14-9) were able to defeat the Orlando Magic (10-14) as the team put together a well-rounded performance. Charlotte’s big three of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Nicolas Batum, and Kemba Walker all played great in this one as they led the way to a victory. The big win gives the team confidence and momentum as they head out on a crucial five-game road trip.
Charlotte has now won three straight games and six of their last nine in total. After a few poor shooting performances in their previous outings, the Hornets were able to break those bad habits against the Magic. They only made nine three-point shots in their last two games and matched that mark in this one alone.
Turning Point
After only being up 52-46 at halftime, the Hornets took the game over in the third quarter. Charlotte was able to outscore Orlando 39-24 in the third period as they gained control with good team play on both ends of the floor. As the home team took a 21 point lead into the fourth and they never looked back. Steve Clifford was able to empty his bench and rest his starters ahead of their second night of a back to back against the Cavs.
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Nicolas Batum led the way for Charlotte in this one as he recorded a near triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. MKG also scored 16 and grabbed seven boards to add to his stat line. Kemba chipped in 15 points to go along with five assists on the night.
Jeremy Lamb and Ramon Sessions each led the bench with 12 points. Lamb had a near double-double with eight rebounds as well. Every active player saw game action for the Hornets in this one but Brian Roberts was the only player not to score a point.
Orlando struggled all night but Evan Fournier led the way for them with 14 points. Serge Ibaka was the only other Magic player in double figures with 12 points. Aaron Gordan, Bismack Biyombo, and Damjan Rudez all finished with nine points.
Highlight of the Game:
Big-time slam for @CodyZeller!! 💪 #ORLatCHA #BuzzCity pic.twitter.com/aNCtJPtukY
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) December 10, 2016
Tweet of the Game:
Quick Stings
With the win, the Hornets take a 1-0 lead in their season series against the Magic. This was only the first meeting of the year and the two sides will face off three more times. Charlotte was able to get the upper hand against their SouthEast division rivals in Orlando.
In their next game, the Charlotte Hornets will be away from home as they travel to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. This will be their second matchup this year as the Cavs took game one. The Queen City team will look to extend their win streak but it will be tough on the second night of a back to back. This will also be the first game of a five-game road trip for Charlotte.
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