Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic pre-game report
Hornets at Magic
6 p.m., Amway Center
TV: SportSouth Radio: WFNZ-AM 610.
Projected Starters
Hornets | Magic | |||||
Pos, Player | PPG | RPG | Pos, Player | PPG | RPG | |
G, M. Williams | 21.0 | 2.3 | G, E. Payton | 7.9 | 3.9 | |
G, G. Henderson | 11.0 | 3.1 | G, V. Oladipo | 16.6 | 4.3 | |
F, M. Kidd-Gilchrist | 10.8 | 7.2 | F, T. Harris | 17.0 | 6.5 | |
F, C. Zeller | 7.4 | 5.8 | F, C. Frye | 7.6 | 4.1 | |
C, A. Jefferson | 17.2 | 8.7 | C, N. Vucevic | 19.9 | 11.3 | |
Matchup to Watch
Al Jefferson vs. Nikola Vucevic: Vucevic is thick and strong enough that he’s succeeded in the past keeping Jefferson from getting to his preferred spots in the low post. He’s also a skilled scorer.
Observations
▪ Orlando’s Jacque Vaughn became a quick coaching casualty this season, being fired around the All-Star break.
▪ The Magic’s Victor Oladipo and rookie Elfrid Payton have potential to be a terrific defensive backcourt over the next few seasons.
Tap-ins
▪ The Magic won both games in this series in Charlotte this season.
▪ Home court hasn’t been much of an advantage in Orlando this season; the Magic is 9-19 this season at Amway Center.
Did you know?
The 23-point recovery the Magic pulled off to win in Charlotte Nov. 21 was the third-largest comeback in franchise history.
Rick Bonnell
This story was originally published February 28, 2015 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic pre-game report."