Recap/Analysis: Hornets lose rough, scrappy game to Magic – At The Hive

Vasilije Micic scored 21 points while Brandon Miller and Tre Mann added 18 apiece, but the Charlotte Hornets lost a physical battle to the Orlando Magic, 101-89.

Summary

Both teams got off to slow, sloppy starts. The Hornets, and Vasilije Micic in particular, were the first to get untracked and took an early lead. Turnovers and Miles Bridges missed shots stymied the Hornets offense and let the Magic go on a 16-2 run that lasted until the final seconds of the quarter. The Hornets turned the ball over seven times (five being live ball turnovers) and only grabbed five total rebounds. The sloppy opening frame put them in a five point hole.

The second quarter was largely uneventful. The Hornets briefly went on a small run thanks in part to a Davis Bertans layup and a couple of his threes that helped even the game. Brandon Miller added his own three off a curl in the last minute to pull the Hornets within one before a pair of Anthony Black free throws set the margin at three at the half.

The Hornets were gifted a 5-point play early in the second half when Jalen Suggs ran underneath Micic while shooting a three and was called for a flagrant. Micic hit all three free throws then Tre Mann made a floater after the Hornets retained possession. Brandon Miller gave the Hornets the lead a few moments later with a three from the wing. Miles Bridges briefly had to leave the game after getting his wrist hyperextended going for a rebound. The game got chippy after that. Brandon Miller got stripped and probably fouled by a Magic double team. Steve Clifford got in the face of an official and earned himself a technical foul. The Hornets got visibly frustrated by the lack of friendly whistles and the Magic capitalized with a run despite two technicals of their own that gave them a nine point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The teams alternated scores for the first couple of minutes before the Hornets went cold. A 10-0 Magic run put the visitors up 16. Grant Williams hit a pair of free throws and Brandon Miller hit a three, but the Magic answered each. The Hornets stabilized and played the Magic evenly, but they weren’t able to make up any ground as the final minutes ticked down.

The Good

Vasilije Micic had a good bounce back game after a poor outing that ended with a game sealing turnover on Sunday. He led the Hornets in scoring with 21 points and filled up the rest of the box score decently well. He was much more decisive than he’s been in other recent games and did a good job scoring inside the arc despite his continued struggles from deep.

Davis Bertans has been fun to watch. He was firing shots off with nary a care in the world and hit a fair amount of them. He even hit a pull-up three off the dribble in a late shot clock situation.

Brandon Miller validated his second straight rookie of the month honor with a solid 18 point, five rebound, three assist performance. We’ve become spoiled by how easily he makes it look. His season would typically be a strong case for rookie of the year. He just happens to be in the same rookie class as Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.

Tre Mann had a really good game and made a few really impressive plays. He seems like a good piece; he just needs to be more consistently aggressive. His talent was on display in this game. He had another pair of steals and some acrobatic finishes around the basket.

The Bad

Miles Bridges had a really rough night. He made just one of his eight shots in the first quarter while the rest of the Hornets were 7-of-9. He struggled to get good looks and put up a lot of heavily contested shots around the basket. He converted two of his 10 shot attempts inside the paint.

Bryce McGowens flirted with an 18 trillion. He played 18 minutes and his only box score contributions were one assist, one turnover, and one foul. He was as invisible on the court as his box score numbers would suggest.

The Hornets struggled with the Magic’s defensive effort. The Magic generated nine steals and had a whole lot more deflections and near steals that disrupted the Hornets offense. It’s been a recurring for the Hornets all season, and those problems were extra noticeable against a scrappy Magic defense.

What’s Next

The Hornets get two whole days off before visiting the Wizards on Friday. It’s the first of four straight ‘winnable’ games for the Hornets.