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 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.