After the Magic handed the Lakers their third straight loss Monday on the night Orlando inducted Dwight Howard into its Hall of Fame at Kia Center, Paolo Banchero had a clear message.
Orlando’s impressive 12-point win against LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Los Angeles wouldn’t matter if it lost to the Hornets less than 24 hours later at Spectrum Center.
Fortunately for coach Jamahl Mosley’s squad, Banchero picked up where he left off Monday and notched 32 points in a 111-104 win over the Hornets on the second night of a back-to-back.
Fittingly, Banchero became the first Magic player since Howard in 2011 (Feb. 13-25, 2011) to have 30-plus in four straight games.
And he had help. Banchero’s star counterpart, Franz Wagner, added 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the road victory.
The result is significant not only because of the race in the Southeast Divison but it also marks Orlando’s third straight — something the Magic hadn’t accomplished since they won six straight Nov. 21-Dec. 1.
Although Charlotte (18-54) entered with only 18 wins, the group was 4-6 in their last 10. Hornets star LaMelo Ball totaled 25 points in the loss that saw him foul out with less than a minute to play.
The Magic (35-38) return to Kia Center on Thursday when they open a three-game homestand against the Mavericks on NBA TV.
Third-quarter woes
It wasn’t all easy for the Magic on the road.
The Hornets tied the game at 65 early in the second half when they opened the third quarter on a 12-2 run.
As Orlando began the frame 2 of 9 from the floor, the group lost its offensive flow and energy as the Hornets took advantage of easy baskets off missed shots by the Magic.
The Hornets eventually took their largest lead of the night (7 points) when their run expanded to 22-5 before Orlando could stop the bleeding.
To make matters worse, Banchero picked up his fourth foul at the 7:35 mark of the third.
But Orlando was able to recover late in the frame and outscore Charlotte 28-21 in the final 12 minutes.
Houstan’s hits
A consistent member of the Magic rotation as of late, third-year pro Caleb Houstan provided a spark the bench when he hit 3 of 4 long-range attempts in the first half.
And it’s what he’s asked to do — spread the floor with open looks playing off Banchero and Wagner, and defending without fouling on the other end.
Houstan added a fourth triple after the break as he totaled 12 points in 23 minutes.
Boost from Black
Second-year pro Anthony Black reached 20 points off the bench when his offensive put-back gave the Magic a two-point lead with 1:58 remaining in the contest.
Black, who is best when he plays with intention and aggression, attacked the painted area often and he scored half his points near the rim.
Reaching double digits for the fourth time in the past five contests, Black notched at least 20 points for the fifth time this season.
Rookie watch
Mosley shortened his rotation against the Hornets and that resulted in Tristan da Silva not seeing the floor in a healthy scratch.
Although his minutes had shrunken as of late, the No. 18 pick had appeared in every game (67 straight) since the start of November.
