The Orlando Magic will look for a more balanced effort throughout the lineup on Wednesday night when they conclude a three-game homestand against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Magic were reduced to the two-man show of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero in their 112-106 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
Wagner matched a season high with 37 points and Banchero added 31 on a combined 25-for-51 shooting performance from the field (7 of 17 from 3-point range). Unfortunately for Orlando, the rest of the team’s players were limited to single-digit scoring.
“Me and (Wagner) being the two guys — 29 attempts and 22 attempts,” Banchero said. “The next highest is six attempts. So, you could say (that) maybe we can get more guys involved and we’ve got to figure out ways that we can do that.”
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley took issue with his team’s unintentional generosity, with its 18 turnovers leading to 20 points by the Hawks.
“I really think it’s the spacing, the timing, where guys are on the floor, being patient,” Mosley said. “The ball has to move faster than bodies. Not holding it. So, understanding exactly where guys are going to be on the floor.”
Wagner paced Orlando to a pair of wins over Charlotte this season. He collected 32 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 114-89 victory at home on Nov. 12 and 21 points, seven assists and four steals in a 95-84 road triumph on Nov. 25.
Banchero missed both of those games during a two-plus-month absence due to a right oblique injury.
Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball erupted for 35 and 44 points in those games, but his availability for Wednesday’s contest is in question due to ankle soreness.
Ball missed five games bridging January and February due to a sprained left ankle before playing 36 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. He then sat out versus the Detroit Pistons on Sunday because of left ankle soreness and missed the final three quarters of a 97-89 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday due to right ankle soreness.
Moussa Diabate scored a career-high 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds on Monday before exiting with a right eye abrasion.
“I think he’s a product of the environment that we’re creating,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “It’s a lot of the coaching staff, it’s a lot of his teammates talking to him, and he’s definitely come in and just continued to add a spark. He has spirit — a competitive spirit — which is great. I’m glad to see he’s getting rewarded for it, too.”
Rookies Tidjane Salaun and KJ Simpson made significant impacts on Monday, with the former scoring 16 points while the latter had nine to go along with nine rebounds.
Injuries and a woeful shooting performance from 3-point range (19.4 percent), however, contributed mightily as Charlotte fell for the eighth time in nine games.
–Field Level Media
