Hornets' Play-In Loss, Magic's Victory

0:00On April 18th, the Charlotte Hornets 2025-26 season ended in a crushing 120-91 defeat to the Orlando Magic, the play-in tournament. Orlando advances to face the top-seated Detroit pistons in the first round, while Charlotte heads home after getting outplayed from the jump. Right from the first quarter, the Magic clamped down with relentless defense, sending the Hornets into halftime down by 31 points. Charlotte's offense crumbled under the pressure, especially from beyond the arc, marking a total shutdown after dominating the regular season series. Against Orlando, two games to one. Magic coach and star Paolo Banchero shouted out their team's intensity, saying they brought physicality from tip-off. On the flip side, Hornets coach Charles Lee called out the refs for questionable calls, but poor shooting was the real killer, no denying that. Lamello Ball managed 23 points, but 21 came in a desperate third quarter after just two before the break. Banchero led everyone with 25 points, six assists, and five boards, while all five Magic starters had double figures, meanwhile only Brandon.

1:09Miller and Miles Bridges did for Charlotte. Condoeple struggled big time, going one for 12 from three across the play-in, a far cry from his regular season hot streak. Now Orlando gears up for a tougher test against those pistons, but they show they can flip the script when it counts. From your team, powered by AI, this is Charlotte Hornets News today.