Magic vs. Hornets: Orlando opens preseason campaign

The Orlando Magic open the Scott Skiles era Saturday night when they host the Charlotte Hornets at Amway Center.

Tipoff between the Southeast clubs is set for 7:00 PM Eastern. ESPN 580 AM will offer radio coverage of the game, which is not available on television.

Orlando's last time out: The Magic's season ended in defeat with a 101-88 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Orlando has since tweaked its roster--most notably adding the rookie Mario Hezonja--but its most significant change is bringing the veteran coach Skiles aboard.

Charlotte's last time out: The Hornets fell to the Toronto Raptors, 92-87 in the final game of their 2014/15 campaign. In the intervening months, they parlayed Lance Stephenson's potential into the veteran contributors Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes. They also added Nicolas Batum via trade, further underscoring their desire to win now.

Notes: As Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes, Orlando will be without Nik Vucevic, Evan Fournier, and Aaron Gordon for Saturday's contest.