NBA Picks 3/19 – Magic @ Hornets

by Thomas Quaynor for Wannamakeabet.com

The Orlando Magic (38-30) visit the Charlotte Hornets (35-34) tonight at Spectrum Center on NBA TV. This is the fourth and final meeting between the Southeast division combatants. Charlotte leads the season series 2-1. The road team has won the first three matchups; all three games were decided by at least 15 points. Charlotte pounded Orlando 124-97 when the teams last met on Jan. 22.

Charlotte is a 4.5-point favorite and the total is 225.5.

Orlando lost 113-108 to NBA-leading Oklahoma City at home on Tuesday night. Orlando trailed by as much as 18 (45-27) in the second quarter, but cut the deficit down to 51-50 by halftime. Orlando went up by 7 (77-70) with about four minutes left in the third quarter. The Thunder responded with a 15-2 run to end the third quarter and took an 85-79 lead heading into the final frame. Oklahoma City pulled away over the final three minutes of the game, opening a 10-point lead and ultimately winning by 5 points.

Paolo Banchero poured in team-highs of 32 points (12-21 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT) and 10 rebounds in the loss. Desmond Bane chipped in with 16 points (6-11 FG, 4-7 3Pt), while Jalen Suggs registered 14 points (5-12 FG, 4-9 3Pt), 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block for Orlando.

Orlando has dropped two in a row after a season-best seven-game winning streak.

Charlotte pummeled the short-handed Miami Heat 136-106 at home on Tuesday night. The Heat were missing Bam Adebayo — who scored a whopping 83 points nine days ago (March 10) against Washington — who sat out due to right calf tightness. Despite the lopsided score, Charlotte only led by 2 (83-81) with 3:50 left in the third quarter. They broke the game open in the fourth quarter outscoring Miami 40-22.

LaMelo Ball registered team-highs of 30 points (11-22 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 4-5 FT) and 13 assists, along with 5 rebounds and a steal in 33 minutes. Coby White added 24 points (8-15 FG. 3-9 3Pt, 5-6 FT) in 20 minutes off the bench, while rookie star Kon Knueppel notched 22 points (8-14 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 2 steals and a block in 24 minutes.

Tonight’s contest is the second of a 7-game homestand for Charlotte. The Hornets will be home through March 29.

In August 2012, the Orlando Magic traded its franchise center Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers after an acrimonious split between the team and Howard. It took the Magic franchise 12 seasons to recover from the loss of Howard. The young trio of Paolo Banchero (21), Franz Wagner (22) and Jalen Suggs (22) led Orlando to a 47-35 record, its best finish after a full season since 2010-11 when Dwight Howard anchored the team.

It was assumed that Orlando’s young trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs would lead the franchise to even greater heights but the injury bug has bitten all 3 players since the breakout 2023-24 season. Orlando fell to 41-41 last season as Banchero (36 gms), Wagner (22 gms) and Suggs (52 gms) all missed significant time with injuries.

The 2025-26 season has brought more injuries for Orlando as Paolo Banchero (groin) missed 10 games, Jalen Suggs (back) missed 23 games, emerging third-year guard Anthony Black (abdomen) will miss his 8th straight game tonight and Franz Wagner has missed 40 games. Wagner has not played since Feb. 11 due to left ankle soreness and there is no definitive timetable for his return. Black will miss his 8th straight game tonight, there is also no timetable for his return.

The losses of Franz Wagner and Anthony Black are significant. Wagner was averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.5 threes per game on 47.9 percent shooting from the floor across 28 games. Black was enjoying a breakout season in year three before suffering an abdomen strain in a 119-92 win at Minnesota on March 7. The 22-year-old, former lottery pick (6th overall-Arkansas) is averaging career-high of 15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.6 threes per game in 60 games.

The excellent play of star forward Paolo Banchero (22.6 ppg, 8.6 rebs, 5 asts, 1.2 threes, 46.4% from 2 in 58 gms) and newcomer Desmond Bane (20.5 ppg, 4.2 asts, 4.1 rebs, 1.1 stls, 2.1 threes, 48.9% from 2, 39.1% from 3 in 68 gms) have kept Orlando afloat this season as the team has dealt with an assortment of injuries. Orlando selected the 23-year-old Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft and he’s had a magnificent four-year NBA career where he’s averaged at least 20 ppg and 6.9 rebounds in each of his four seasons.

Orlando acquired Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies in a blockbuster trade prior to the season. Orlando gave up a package that included four first-round picks (2025, 2026, 2028 and 2030) to land Bane. The 27-year-old Bane established himself as an efficient scorer over his first five NBA seasons with Memphis. He’s averaged at least 18.2 ppg and shot over 40 percent from long distance in each of his previous four seasons. Bane has kept up his efficient scoring in his debut season with the Magic

In the 21 seasons (2005-2025) since the NBA awarded a franchise to the city of Charlotte for a second time, they’ve been one of the worst in the NBA. Not even first-ballot Hall of Famer Michael Jordan — who many argue is the greatest basketball player of all-time — who was the majority owner of the Charlotte franchise from February 2010 through August 2023 could turn around the fledgling Hornet franchise.

Coming into this season, the Charlotte Hornets franchise — they were known as the Bobcats through the 2013-14 season — had only advanced to the playoffs three times in 21 seasons. Charlotte has yet to win a playoff series in their 21 years of existence. Poor drafting was the biggest reason for Charlotte’s futility over the past 21 seasons.

Charlotte’s drafting has improved tremendously in recent years which has led to a stunning turnaround this season. Lottery picks Miles Bridges (12th overall-2018), LaMelo Ball (3rd overall-2010), Brandon Miller (2nd overall-2023) and Kon Knueppel (4th overall-2025) quickly developed into formidable players as rookies.

The aforementioned foursome of former lottery picks in athletic swingman Brandon Miller (team-leading 20.3 ppg, 5 rebs, 1.1 stls, 3.1 threes, 38.2% from 3 in 52 gms), point guard LaMelo Ball (19.5 ppg, 7.2 asts, 4.8 rebs, 1.2 stls, 3.6 threes in 59 gms), rookie standout Kon Kneuppel (19.3 ppg, 5.3 rebs, 3.5 threes, 49% from 2, 43.7% from 3 in 67 gms) and forward Miles Bridges (17.5 ppg, 5.9 rebs, 2.1 threes in 64 gms) have gelled together this season and resurrected a Charlotte franchise that was in the doldrums.

Star rookie Kon Knueppel is now the favorite (-210) to take home the Rookie of the Year honors. The 20-year-old Duke product Knueppel has knocked down 238 three-pointers, which has already surpassed the rookie record set by Sacramento’s Keegan Murray in 2023. Relatively healthy seasons from Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball has also been key for Charlotte this season. Ball played in just 47 games last season, while Miller played in only 22.

Charlotte enters tonight’s contest at 35-34, which is already a 16-game improvement over last season’s dismal 19-63 finish. The Hornets are on track to have their most wins (43) and qualify for the playoffs/play-in for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

In the three regular season games played between Charlotte and Orlando this season, the road team has won each one. I’m going against that trend for this game. I think the much-improved Hornets give a second straight dominant performance at home tonight after blasting visiting Miami by 30 points on Tuesday. Lay the Points and take the Hornets