Double-doubles by Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. carried the Orlando Magic to a 119-113 victory against the host Charlotte Hornets on Sunday afternoon.
Banchero had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Carter added 20 points and 12 boards. Markelle Fultz (16) and Franz Wagner (14) also scored in double figures for the Magic, whose 18 offensive boards contributed to a decisive 52-39 rebounding advantage.
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LaMelo Ball racked up 33 points and Terry Rozier had 24 points — but only three in the second half — for Charlotte, which shot 54.2 percent from the floor. Dennis Smith Jr. notched 14 points off the bench, P.J. Washington had 12 points and Mason Plumlee supplied 10 points for the Hornets, who suffered their fourth loss in a row.
It completed a good two-day stretch for former Duke stars Banchero and Carter, who attended the Blue Devils’ win against rival North Carolina on Saturday night in Durham, N.C.
Free-throw disparity was another big factor Sunday, as the Magic made 27 of 30 attempts from the line compared to the Hornets’ dismal 11-of-23 effort.
Charlotte closed to within 108-103 with more than five minutes to play. The Hornets then endured a three-minute scoring drought.
Ball ended that with a pair of baskets to make it 112-107. Carter’s free throw and Wagner’s layup pretty much put the game out of reach, particularly after Washington failed to complete a three-point play at the 33-second mark.
The Magic produced a 10-0 run bridging the two halves to stretch their lead to 67-58.
Ball scored the first five points of the fourth quarter as Charlotte went briefly back ahead 91-90 before the Magic got rolling again.
The Hornets were up by nine with about five minutes left in the second quarter, but the Magic led 62-58 at halftime behind Carter’s 13 points. Rozier had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field in the opening half as part of Charlotte’s 53.7-percent shooting.
The difference in the half was Orlando’s 30-15 rebounding edge, including 13 offensive boards for the Magic.
Orlando and Charlotte split two previous meetings this season in Orlando.
–Field Level Media
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