Swarm and Sting
Fansided

Charlotte Hornets blown out by Orlando Magic in road tilt

By Evan Birchmore

Oct 28, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward (20) controls the ball against the Orlando Magic during the third quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward (20) controls the ball against the Orlando Magic during the third quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Charlotte Hornets suffered a 113-93 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday evening.

Gordon Hayward led the way for the visiting Hornets with 18 points, while rookie sensation Paolo Banchero continued his stellar play with 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Magic.

With the loss, Charlotte now finds itself 2-3 and beneath the .500 mark for the first time this season.

What went right for the Charlotte Hornets?

Gordon Hayward continues to look good

One of the lone bright spots in this contest, Gordon Hayward led the Hornets in scoring for the third time in five games. Hayward also led Charlotte’s starters in rebounds, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, and free throw percentage in tonight’s contest.

Nick Richards continues to impress

Nick Richards continues to make his case for additional minutes, as his 14 points and six rebounds led all Charlotte bench players in tonight’s game.

What went wrong for the Charlotte Hornets?

Charlotte’s offense was offensively bad

To say the Hornets struggled on offense in this game would be putting it kindly. The Hornets entered tonight’s game averaging 124.5 points per game, the most of any team. Their 93 points scored tonight was 19 fewer than their previous low. The first half in particular was a struggle, as Charlotte scored just 30 points, their least in a half since February 1st, 2020, against the San Antonio Spurs.

Charlotte also set season lows in field goal percentage (38.4%) and three-point field goal percentage (28.9).

Slow starts continue to be problematic

For the fourth game in a row, the Hornets trailed after the first quarter, this time falling behind 22-19. After leading the Spurs by a score of 38-22 after the first quarter in the first game of the season, the Hornets have been outscored by 24 points in the first quarter over the last four games. For a team that finished 2021-22 with the fourth worst first quarter point differential in the NBA, getting off to better starts is imperative if the Hornets hope to find success this season.

What is next for the Charlotte Hornets?

Saturday, October 29th – vs. Golden State Warriors (7:00 p.m. ET)

Home/Hornets News