Paolo Banchero scored 25 points with six assists and five rebounds and the Orlando Magic bounced back from their play-in loss to the Philadelphia 76ers by thumping the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, 121-90.
The Magic will advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, setting them up for a first-round series against the Eastern Conference leaders, the Detroit Pistons.
Charlotte, led by 23 points from LaMelo Ball, trailed for most of the contest. Its first and only lead was 5-4 two minutes into the opening quarter; the Magic defense helped the team enter the break up 31 after holding the Hornets to 31.7% shooting in the first half.
Franz Wagner recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 25 minutes in a balanced attack for the Magic. Wendell Carter Jr. chipped in with 16 points and six rebounds as Orlando outrebounded Charlotte 49-34, exemplifying the Magic's physical dominance on the night.
Charlotte was third in the league in 3-point percentage (37.8%) this season, with Kon Knueppel and Ball becoming the first teammates to finish 1-2 in made 3-pointers since Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The Hornets were just 12-of-45 (27%) from deep Friday in Orlando, with Knueppel and Ball combining to go 4-of-14 behind the arc.
Orlando's 31-point margin of victory is the largest ever recorded in the play-in tournament, overtaking back-to-back 27-point wins by the Indiana Pacers in 2021.
The Hornets, who beat the Magic in their last three regular-season contests, have not been in the playoffs since 2016.
This will be the third consecutive playoff appearance for Orlando. However, the franchise hasn't progressed past the first round since making the Eastern Conference finals in 2010.
The Magic split the season series with the Pistons 2-2. The first-round series gets underway Sunday evening in Detroit. The Pistons boast the third-best home record in the league this season (31-9) and enter the playoffs on an eight-game home winning streak.
