Hornets Extra: Hornets 98, Magic 90

98

90

If the Charlotte Hornets wanted a wake-up call after their loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night at "The Hive", then last night's game at the Amway Center was indeed a wake-up call for Charlotte, who protected a big lead for most of the night to walk out of Orlando with a 98-90 win over the Magic.  The win improves the Hornets to 11-24 on the season, while Orlando dropped to 13-24.

The Hornets had everything going for them in the win on Saturday, according to Kemba Walker. "Our communication on defense was great and we just made some great plays." Walker said. "Guys were in the right spots and this is how it has to be night in and night out."

Walker would lead the way for Charlotte with 30 points on the night last night, as the Hornets had everything going right for them on the night. "The stretch where we played well, we got a lot of effort points, fast breaks, and guys keeping the ball alive for second chances. That gave us a cushion to play with on the road." quoted Hornets head coach Steve Clifford.

Charlotte also saw three other players reach double-digits, among them were Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who added 17 points, while Gary Neal stepped things up off the bench for the Hornets and ending the night with 16 and Cody Zeller would end up with 12, as the Hornets would end up shooting 44.9% from the field in the win and out-rebounding the Magic by a plus-9 margin(53-44).

For the Magic, who lost their third game in the row, Victor Oladipo led the way with 21 points.  Next up on the agenda for the Charlotte Hornets, a trip to Boston to take on the Celtics tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. inside TD Garden, before returning to Time Warner Cable Arena on Wednesday night to face Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson, and the New Orleans Pelicans for a 7:00 p.m. start.

Hornets Extra: Magic 102, Hornets 94

102

94

To sum up last night's performance by the Charlotte Hornets in their home game against the Orlando Magic, it would be a tale of a team that has decided to quit on themselves for most of the night, while the other would be a tale of a player going beastmode.  It was that kind of night, as the Orlando Magic handed the Hornets their second straight loss witha 102-94 win over Charlotte.

Despite the loss, it would be a career/record setting night for Kemba Walker, as he would lead all game scorers with 42 points, including a record-setting 35 point performance in the second half, setting a Charlotte NBA record for most points in a half surpassing the 28 point point scoring totals in a half that were set by former Hornets Kelly Tripucka(28 vs. IND on 12/14/1988) and twice by Glen Rice(First vs. PHX on 2/19/1997 and again vs. MIA 1/2/1998).

Head Coach Steve Clifford wasn't pleased with his team's effort in the loss, which dropped Charlotte to 10-21, but he did praise Kemba for keeping his team in the game.  "He can be a cornerstone player for teams that go deep into the playoffs because of his competitiveness. He has just a competitive spirit that is contagious to me." Clifford said.

"I had a career night, a great game but it just wasn't enough. Our problem wasn't offensively, it was defensively." Walker said.  The defensive game doomed Charlotte big time, turning the ball over 10 times, and allowing Orlando to take advantage and opening the door for Nikola Vucevic to lead the way for the Magic with 22 points to go with 11 rebounds in last night's win.

Orlando also saw Tobias Harris join in with 21 points, while Victor Oladipo helped out the cause with 13 on the night for the Magic, who shot 45.8% from the field, despite being out-rebounded by the Hornets by a plus-1 margin(41-40).  Walker did indeed led all game scorers with a season-high 42 point outburst, while Al Jefferson had 14 points for Charlotte in the loss.

Charlotte hopes to bounce back from two tough losses and to get back into the win column on Monday night at Time Warner Cable Arena, as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks at 7:10 p.m., before hitting the road to wrap up 2014 in Houston against the Rockets on Wednesday.

Hornets Extra: Magic vs. Hornets

Orlando Magic(11-21; 2-5 in Southeast Division Play) vs. Charlotte Hornets(10-20; 2-3 in Southeast Division Play)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Saturday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Last meeting: Orlando 105, Charlotte 100(November 21st at Charlotte)

Series history(since 1989-90 season): ORL leads series 48-38 all-time

Two teams with tough losses last night will square off tonight at "The Hive", as the Charlotte Hornets come back home to face their Southeast Division rivals, the Orlando Magic.  The Hornets are coming off another loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder 98-75 last night, as they remain winless against the Thunder in Oklahoma City, while the Magic is coming off a loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers last night on their home floor of Orlando.  The last time these two teams met was back on November 21st, when Orlando came back to defeat Charlotte 105-100, and the Hornets are looking for some redemption from that loss back on November 21st, this evening.

Scouting the Magic

Last night, the Orlando Magic squared off against their arch nemesis, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, as they suffered their fifth loss in it's last 6 games, by falling to the Cavs 98-89 at the Amway Center.  Despite the loss, the Magic did see Tobias Harris lead the way, while Nikola Vucevic had another good outing for Orlando in the loss.  The Magic hopes to bounce back from last night's loss in their game tonight on the road in Charlotte against the Hornets.

Scouting the Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets meanwhile, saw its 4-game win streak come to a end last night in one of the toughest places to win in the NBA, Oklahoma City, as the Kevin Durant-less Thunder, led by Russell Westbrook, handed Charlotte a 98-75 loss.  Tonight, the Hornets are out for some payback after what the Magic did to them back in their first meeting on November 21st at Time Warner Cable Arena, when Orlando would battle all the way back to escape out of Charlotte with a 105-100 win, as the Hornets look to begin a new win streak tonight, when they face-off against the Magic at "The Hive", as the Hornets will face the Magic twice in 7 days, tonight at home and again next Saturday in Orlando.

Next 4 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Monday: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Wednesday: Charlotte @ Houston Rockets(7:00 p.m.)
Friday: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Next Saturday: Charlotte @ Orlando Magic*(7:00 p.m.)
*-Southeast Division game

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Hornets Extra: Magic 105, Hornets 100

105

100

After building a 23-point lead through most of the game, the wheels would fall off for the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, as the Orlando Magic would come from behind to defeat the 4-9 Hornets by a 105-100 margin at Time Warner Cable Arena.  With the loss, Charlotte has now lost 4 straight games.

Consider this one as a "Taking a page out of the Panthers notebook" game for the Hornets, they didn't close it out and gave the lead right back to Orlando, and the crowd of 18,126 wasn't pleased at all in the final quarter of play, as they saw their team slip up and mess up down the stretch, allowing the Magic to come back and get the win.

Evan Fournier led the way with 21 points for the Magic in the comeback win, while Charlotte was led in scoring by Al Jefferson and his 24 point performance.

Charlotte hopes to break this 4-game skid on Sunday night in Miami against the Heat for a 6:00 tip-off at AmericanAirlines Arena, before beginning a stretch of 3 home games in 5 days on Monday night with a visit from Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and the L.A. Clippers for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off at "The Hive".

Hornets Extra: Magic vs. Hornets

Orlando Magic(5-8; 0-2 in Southeast Division play) vs. Charlotte Hornets(4-8; 2-0 in Southeast Division play)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Friday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Series history(since 1989-90 season): ORL leads series 47-38

The struggling Charlotte Hornets find themselves sitting in last place in the Southeast Division, as they enter Friday night's match-up with the Orlando Magic at "The Hive".  The Hornets are coming off a heartbreaking loss on Wednesday night in Indianapolis, losing to the Pacers on a buzzer-beater from Solomon Hill to give Indiana a 88-86 win over Charlotte, while the Magic is coming off a 114-90 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers last night at the Amway Center in Orlando.

Scouting the Magic

The Orlando Magic is entering this game after a tough go of it against Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and the Los Angeles Clippers, as they defeated Orlando by 24 points in last night's game at the Amway Center.  One of the players to keep our eye on for the Magic in Friday's game at Charlotte are Vic Oladipo, and Nikola Vucevic, they can totally put on a show when they hit the floor for the Magic, and Jacque Vaughn hopes his team can bounce back and get a win on Friday night, when the Magic squares off against a struggling Hornets team that is searching for an identity in their struggles as well.

Scouting the Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets come into Friday's game in last place in the Southeast Division after a heartbreaking 88-86 loss on the road last night against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis. Charlotte's currently on a 3-game losing skid, as they are still without Gary Neal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and P.J. Hairston, but we don't know if either of those players will be available for Friday's game at "The Hive" as they welcome in the Orlando Magic to town.

Hornets to host "Classic Night" for Friday's game

Friday's game has been designated as the first of many "Classic Hornets Nights" this season, as the Hornets will have special in-game elements throughout the night, as well as looking back at some memorable moments from the team's original run in Charlotte(1988-2002).  Fans are encouraged to wear their vintage Hornets gear from that era to the game as part of the occasion, and a certain high-flying dunker will make his triumphant return to Charlotte as part of the Hornets "Classic Night" celebration, but we can't tell you who it is.  The only way to find out is to be there at "The Hive" for tomorrow's game. This comes off the heels of last season's "Buzz City Nights", which was wildly popular for both the fans and the organization during the run-up to the official return of the Hornets name to Charlotte.

Next 4 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Sunday: Charlotte @ Miami Heat*(6:00 p.m.)
Monday: L.A. Clippers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Wednesday: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Next Friday: Golden State Warriors vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
*-Southeast Division game

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM (610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Hornets Extra - Preseason Edition Recap: Hornets 99, Magic 97

97

99



Tonight at Time Warner Cable Arena, fans got their first look at the Charlotte Hornets for the first time since 2002 in preseason action as they took on the Orlando Magic in their third of eight preseason games leading up to the October 29th season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.  After trailing for most of the final 2 quarters of action, the Hornets looked to Jannero Pargo to make a late push, and it would easily pay off for Charlotte as they would defeat the Magic 99-97 to go to 2-1 on the preseason, while Orlando dropped to 2-1 as well.

It was a tale of two halves for both squads, as the Hornets would enter the half with a 57-50 edge, but in the third, the Magic would claw their way back into the game and would have a comfortable edge, but entering the 4th quarter, it would be Pargo's time to shine for the Hornets, as he would get some good praise from Steve Clifford on his solid play in the quarter to lead the Charlotte comeback to get the win.  "I was going to go back with Roberts with five or six minutes left, but Jannero was playing so well." quoted Clifford, and Pargo did played well indeed, finishing up with 16 points off the bench for the Hornets, who shot 42.6% from the field in the win.  

Leading the way was "Big Al" Jefferson with 20 points for Charlotte, despite grabbing down just 3 rebounds on the night, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist chipped in 14 and Kemba Walker added 11 points.  Finishing up the group of double-figure scorers for Charlotte was Gary Neal, who had 10 off the bench for the Hornets in tonight's win.

Orlando was led in scoring by Ben Gordon, who came back to Charlotte and lit up his former team with 17 points to lead the way for the Magic, which shot 44.6% from the field in the loss. Elfrid Payton and Tobias Harris each scored 14 points and Nikola Vucevic rounded out the Magic's group of double-figure scorers with 10.

The next Hornets preseason game will come on Wednesday morning at 11:00 a.m., as Charlotte takes on the Detroit Pistons in the annual Cool School Field Trip game for middle school students.

Hornets Extra - Preseason Edition: Magic vs. Hornets

Preseason Game #3: Orlando Magic(2-0) vs. Charlotte Hornets(1-1)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Monday, 7:00 p.m.

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

The preseason schedule for the Charlotte Hornets will resume on Monday night, when they play their first home preseason game as the Hornets in 13 years, as they welcome in the Orlando Magic to "The Hive".  Charlotte got its first win of the preseason back on Friday night in Greenville, South Carolina, as they defeated Washington 99-86, while Orlando is 2-0 in the preseason, with wins coming against Indiana and Miami.

Scouting the Magic

Orlando is currently 2-0 in the preseason so far, with both wins coming against the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat. Last season was a down year for Orlando, but things could be looking up for Jacque Vaughn's squad as he enters his second year in Orlando as their head coach.  Their roster has some new faces, including Channing Frye, and former Charlotte players Luke Ridnour and Ben Gordon.  Could this be the year that Orlando makes a lot of noise in the Southeast Division?  The answer could take the entire year to solve, but we'll see most of the new faces of the new-look Magic tomorrow night, as they make the trek to Charlotte to take on the Hornets.

Scouting the Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets enter Monday's game with a 1-1 mark, after a resounding 99-86 win over the Washington Wizards back on Friday night at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina behind Gary Neal's 19 point performance as he was inserted in the lineup for Charlotte, and carried the load in that performance along with Jannero Pargo, P.J. Hairston, and Kemba Walker.

The last time the Hornets played a preseason game in Charlotte took place on October 16, 2001 at the Charlotte Coliseum, when they defeated the Boston Celtics by a 99-88 margin.  4,745 days later, the Hornets will officially make their preseason home debut in Charlotte as they welcome in the Orlando Magic to town, as fans will get their first look at the team's new uniforms and new floor,as well as their first glimpses at P.J. Hairston and Lance Stephenson in action tomorrow night at "The Hive".

Upcoming Hornets preseason game schedule(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Wednesday: Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte(11:00 a.m.)%
Friday: Charlotte @ Washington Wizards(7:00 p.m.)
Next Sunday: Charlotte @ Chicago Bulls(7:00 p.m.)
October 20th: Charlotte @ Atlanta Hawks(7:30 p.m.)
%-Denotes Cool School Field Trip game for middle school students

NOTE: All Hornets preseason games(with the exception of the 10/15 game) can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Orlando Magic

It's day 2 of our "30 Teams in 30 Days" series, which began yesterday with a look inside the Atlanta Hawks, and today, we continue our series in Orlando, with a look at the rebuilding Magic, as they look for a fresh start with a couple of new faces.

Last season's record: 23-59(5th in Southeast Division; 13th in Eastern Conference)

Head Coach: Jacque Vaughn(2nd season, 23-59 record)

Key losses: Jameer Nelson

New additions: Ben Gordon, Luke Ridnour, Aaron Gordon

Arena: Amway Center(18,846)

Website: OrlandoMagic.com

Last season was a down year for the Orlando Magic, finishing with a 23-59 mark in Jacque Vaughn's first season as an NBA head coach, and it would eventually turn out to be the last for Jameer Nelson in an Orlando uniform, as many of the Magic fans in Central Florida were already looking ahead to the 2014-15 campaign as the franchise continues its rebuilding phase, through the draft and free agency.

They did get some of those good needs to replace Nelson by signing Luke Ridnour and Ben Gordon, who spent last season with Charlotte, and added some more depth by drafting Aaron Gordon in last summer's NBA Draft, to give Orlando a fresh outlook entering the 2014-15 season.

In short, the Magic could be a sleeper team in the Eastern Conference and in the Southeast Division, which could be wide open with teams that may contend in that division, such as the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, and the Charlotte Hornets, and if it all goes well to plan, Orlando could have a legitimate shot to return to playoff glory, but first, they have to work together as a team and start winning again.


Upcoming team previews in the "30 Teams in 30 Days" series

• Wednesday: Miami Heat
• Thursday: New Orleans Pelicans
• Friday: Houston Rockets
• Saturday: San Antonio Spurs