The Orlando Magic overcame a sluggish first half to defeat the Charlotte Hornets 102-86 on Wednesday night, with Paolo Banchero leading the way.
Banchero finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, helping the Magic (27-29) recover from a 23% three-point shooting effort in the first half.
Franz Wagner contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, while rookie Anthony Black added 18 points off the bench.
The Magic struggled early, making just five of their first 21 three-point attempts and managing only 16 points in the second quarter.
They turned it around after halftime, hitting nine of 22 threes (41%) and outscoring Charlotte 33-19 in the third quarter to seize control.
Miles Bridges led the injury-plagued Hornets (13-39) with 19 points and eight rebounds, but he shot just 6-of-23 from the field.
Josh Green and Damion Baugh each scored 16 points, while Jusuf Nurkić added nine points and eight rebounds in limited minutes.
Charlotte struggled offensively, shooting 39.5% from the field and 30.8% from three while committing 12 turnovers.
The Hornets have now lost three straight games and nine of their last 10 heading into the All-Star break.
With LaMelo Ball sidelined due to a sore right ankle, the Hornets were without their primary playmaker.
Moussa Diabate (eye abrasion) and several other key players also remained out, leaving Charlotte short-handed once again.
A tense moment erupted in the second quarter when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Nick Smith Jr. were both ejected after an on-court verbal altercation. Caldwell-Pope, who finished with two points in 16 minutes, was visibly frustrated before exiting the game.
Orlando’s defense proved key, forcing Charlotte into tough shots while controlling the boards with a 52-43 rebounding advantage.
Wendell Carter Jr. made an impact off the bench with 11 points and 11 rebounds, finishing with a game-high +27 plus-minus. Cole Anthony added 13 points, including three three-pointers, while Jett Howard chipped in six points and five assists.
The Magic played without Jalen Suggs for the ninth consecutive game due to a left quad contusion. Since Jan. 3, Orlando has gone just 5-14 without Suggs, dropping from fourth to ninth in the Eastern Conference standings.
