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Charlotte Hornets: Big fourth quarter leads to win over the Magic

By Josh Anderson

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JANUARY 24: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Charlotte Hornets drives to the net as Khem Birch #24 of the Orlando Magic defends during the fourth quarter at Amway Center on January 24, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JANUARY 24: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Charlotte Hornets drives to the net as Khem Birch #24 of the Orlando Magic defends during the fourth quarter at Amway Center on January 24, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /
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The Charlotte Hornets were on a four-game losing streak coming into Sunday night’s game against the Orlando Magic. Thanks to a big fourth quarter and a scoring barrage by Gordon Hayward, the Hornets snapped that streak, winning the game 107-104.

Through the first three quarters of the game, the Magic were in clear control, outscoring the Hornets in each quarter. Despite the Magic being in control, they had no answer for Gordon Hayward the entire night. Hayward has now scored 30+ points in back-to-back games.

While the Magic dominated the first three quarters, the Hornets turned things around in the fourth and completed the comeback. The Hornets went on a 25-4 run, not only take the lead but to also get a nice cushioned lead. The Hornets won the quarter 33 to 18.

The Magic did make a little run towards the end of the fourth quarter, tying it up at 104 with 8.7 seconds left on the clock. With a few seconds left, Hayward drives to the basket and lays in a contested shot.

Once again, Hayward is proving that he is worth every cent on his contract. Besides hitting the game-winning shot, he also led the team in scoring, getting 39 points in 38 minutes of play. He went 60% (15/25) from the field, including 62.5% (5/8) from the three-point line. He went 4 of 8 from the free-throw line and he was one rebound away from earning a double-double.

Another bright spot for the Hornets was the play of Miles Bridges. He shot over 70%, hitting 8 of 11 of his attempts from the field, scoring 18 points. Bridges’ 18 points were ranked second for the team in scoring for the night.

LaMelo Ball had a decent night as well, scoring 11 points on 4 of 11 (36.4%) from the field, and hitting two big threes. To go along with his points, he also led the team in assists, notching 8 of them.

Devonte’ Graham scored 15 points on 5 of 14 (35.7%) from the field, and 3 of 7 (42.9%) from beyond the arc. A couple of those three-pointers were monumental in the comeback effort. It was nice to see him hit clutch shots again.

Cody Zeller once again looked like he was still trying to get used to the game flow, scoring only 4 points on the night and grabbing 7 rebounds. While Zeller did not look great, he still performed better than Bismack Biyombo who only scored 2 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.

The Hornets are hoping to continue where they left off tomorrow night when they play the second game of a back-to-back against the Magic.

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