Win, and they’re in. If they lose, their season’s over.
There’s a lot at stake for the Orlando Magic ahead of their do-or-die play-in affair against the Charlotte Hornets. On the heels of two-straight disappointing losses, will they survive on their home floor?!
We asked our panelists!
Ethan Skolnick: Hornets 116, Magic 105
The Magic have surprised before this season, getting off the mat when it appeared they were done. But this seems different. Paolo Banchero has been wildly inefficient the past two games, the noise around Jamahl Mosley has never been louder and Franz Wagner still isn’t quite himself. Charlotte is coming off a rousing overtime win against Miami, and then has had two full days of rest. The Magic will need to lock in on the Hornets’ three-point shooters early, and hope Kon Knueppel continues to struggle — but it’s hard to see the Magic scoring enough to sustain any kind of lead. Maybe Desmond Bane carries Orlando to a clutch win; he’s done it a lot. But the more likely result is Hornets 116, Magic 105.
Matt Hanifan: Hornets 117, Magic 108
When it comes to projecting the outcome of postseason series or, in this case, a one-game sample, I don’t love using regular season matchups as a basis. Anything can happen in just one game, especially in a win-or-go-home situation where both teams’ backs are against the wall. However, it’s worth noting the Hornets won three of their four meetings — with an average margin of victory of 20.3 points in those three wins. They have also been playing their best basketball over the last three months — while it’s been anything but for the Magic. Charlotte is 30-12 since Jan. 15 (59-win pace) with the NBA’s second-best NET (plus-10.2); Orlando is 23-19 since then (45-win pace) with the 18th-best NET (plus-0.2). I also think the Hornets are a stylistic nightmare for Orlando, so I’m going with them here.
Amir Motameni: Hornets 118, Magic 112
I think the Hornets win this and grab the final playoff spot. It won’t be pretty, but they find a way in a close one. I’ve got the Hornets winning this one on the road, 118-112. Charlotte has been playing with more urgency down the stretch, and I think that carries over into this matchup.
Ryan Kaminski: Hornets 110, Magic 97
Hornets win big. Does a reverse jinx work if I say it out loud? If Orlando doesn’t run Charlotte off the 3pt line and change its mindset from tough jump shots to drive and kicks, it will be hard to keep up with Charlotte’s machine of threes and offensive rebounds. If Orlando does find the right balance to pull out a win, they suddenly have a whole playoff series in front of them to change the narrative of their season.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
