Charlotte Hornets at Orlando Magic
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Hornets beat Magic 120-105 after rookie Kon Knueppel injures ankle in first half
Miles Bridges had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets and Moussa Diabate added 10 points and 13 rebounds. Charlotte shot 19 for 39 (48.7%) from 3-point range and led by 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Anthony Black led Orlando with 24 points. Desmond Bane added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 16 points and eight rebounds.
The Hornets had a 57-48 lead in the final seconds of the first half when Knueppel, who ranks second among NBA rookies in scoring and 3-point shooting, went down with the injury. He had scored 16 points, all in the first quarter, while making all four of his 3-point shots. Hornets coach Charles Lee said X-rays on Knueppel's ankle were negative and he would be evaluated again when the team returns to Charlotte.
Three 3-pointers by Collin Sexton late in the third quarter helped the Hornets stretch a 16-point lead to 24.
Led by Diabate, Bridges and Tidjane Salaun, the Hornets had a 53-42 rebound edge in winning for the fourth time in six games.
The Magic, who have lost four of six after winning in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, played without injured starters Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs,
Magic: Play at home against Denver on Saturday night.
Regular Season Series
Series tied 1-1
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 120 - 105 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 120 - 105 |
| 4th 3.6 |  |
shot clock turnover | 120 - 105 |
| 4th 27.7 |  |
Jase Richardson makes free throw 1 of 1 | 120 - 105 |
| 4th 27.7 | |
PJ Hall shooting foul | 120 - 104 |
Statistics
 CHA |
 ORL |
|
|---|---|---|
| 41-87 | FG | 37-93 |
| 47 | Field Goal % | 40 |
| 19-39 | 3PT | 11-35 |
| 49 | Three Point % | 31 |
| 19-28 | FT | 20-23 |
| 68 | Free Throw % | 87 |
| 53 | Rebounds | 42 |
| 16 | Offensive Rebounds | 16 |
| 37 | Defensive Rebounds | 26 |
| 23 | Assists | 22 |
| 3 | Steals | 7 |
| 6 | Blocks | 7 |
| 14 | Turnovers | 9 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 15 | Total Turnovers | 9 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 9 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 11 |
| 4 | Fast Break Points | 10 |
| 42 | Points in Paint | 46 |
| 19 | Fouls | 25 |
| 24 | Largest Lead | 4 |
| 3 | Lead Changes | 3 |
| 94 | Percent Led | 5 |
Orlando Magic Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Franz Wagner, F | Day-To-Day | Jan 22 |
| Jalen Suggs, G | Out | Jan 22 |
| Colin Castleton, C | Out | Nov 24 |
Charlotte Hornets Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Williams, F | Day-To-Day | Jan 23 |
| KJ Simpson, G | Day-To-Day | Jan 23 |
| Tre Mann, G | Day-To-Day | Jan 23 |
| Mason Plumlee, C | Out | Dec 31 |
Game Information
Location: Orlando, FL
Attendance: 19,397 · Capacity:
2025-26 Southeast Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Orlando |
23 | 20 | .535 | - | L2 |
 Miami |
23 | 22 | .511 | 1 | L1 |
 Atlanta |
21 | 25 | .457 | 3.5 | W1 |
 Charlotte |
17 | 28 | .378 | 7 | W1 |
 Washington |
10 | 33 | .233 | 13 | L8 |
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