Magic vs. Hornets: Orlando finishes home stretch

The Orlando Magic conclude a rare home-and-home, back-to-back set Saturday when they host the Charlotte Hornets at Amway Center.

Tipoff between Orlando and Charlotte is set for 7:00 PM. Fox Sports Florida and ESPN 580 AM will offer live coverage in the Orlando market.

Orlando's last time out: After trailing by as much as 25 points, the Magic rallied to within three with 64 seconds remaining Friday against the Brooklyn Nets, but the furious comeback proved to be too little and too late. Brooklyn prevailed by a 100-98 score, with Elfrid Payton's three-pointer just before the final buzzer making the result look reasonably competitive. Payton starred for the Magic, coming up just one rebound shy of a triple-double with 16 points and 10 assists. Victor Oladipo scored an efficient 17 in 30 minutes, while Ben Gordon tallied 13 off the bench.

Charlotte's last time out: The Hornets dropped their fifth straight game Friday, 91-87, at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Without Al Jefferson in the middle--the veteran center is out due to a strained groin--the Hornets struggled offensively, shooting 36.8 percent with 14 turnovers. Gerald Henderson shot 6-of-17 for a team-best 14 points, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist contributed a 12-point, 10-board double-double.

The last meeting: Orlando held on to top the hard-charging Hornets, 102-94, on December 27th despite a career night from Kemba Walker: the fourth-year pro went off for 42 points as the Hornets made their run, but the Magic did just enough to maintain their lead and pull out the win. Nikola Vucevic scored 22 with 11 rebounds, and Tobias Harris added 21 for Orlando.

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