ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic fell to 1-2 in preseason play after a 123-115 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.
Nikola Vucevic finished with a game-high 27 points to lead the Magic, who played their first game at Amway Center in almost 10 months. Markelle Fultz added 14 points for the Magic, while Dwayne Bacon and rookie point guard Cole Anthony finished with 13 points apiece. Aaron Gordon scored 11 points and Khem Birch had 10.
Magic shooting guard Terrence Ross scored 13 points in his preseason debut. He missed the first two games with a hairline fracture in his left big toe.
Ross sank the first shot he took — a 3-pointer — and finished 5 of 12 from the field in 18 minutes. He appeared to play without any constraints, evident by his reverse dunk early in the fourth quarter.
For the second straight game, 3-point shooting contributed to a Magic loss. Charlotte outscored Orlando 54-36 from the 3-point line. During Sunday’s 116-107 loss to the Hawks, the Magic were outscored 51-33 from beyond the arc.
Charlotte took advantage of a lethargic start by the Magic to build an early 14-4 lead. Orlando was just 2 of 8 from the field — and that included a put-back dunk by Gordon — and had three turnovers in the first 4:50.
The teams heated up in the second quarter and one point were a combined 10 of 12 from the 3-point line. The Magic surge came from the second unit as Ross, Anthony and Chuma Okeke combined for seven 3s and 25 points in the first half.
The Magic and Hornets are set to meet again Saturday at Amway as the teams close out their respective preseason schedules. The game tips off at 7 p.m. and will air on Fox Sports Florida.
