The Orlando Magic will be playing on the road against the Charlotte Hornets tonight. The Magic have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons this season. In 2022, the Magic players got involved in an altercation during a game against the Detroit Pistons. Moe Wagner was knocked out cold by Kilian Hayes after shoving the latter out of the court. If that wasn’t already enough controversy, Mo Bamba got into it with the Minnesota Timberwolves player Austin Rivers.
AUSTIN RIVERS AND MO BAMBA GET INTO IT 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kUFYXgPvI5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 4, 2023
They won the game against the Wolves after the ugly altercation, and are looking to gain some momentum with another win against the Hornets tonight. Michael Jordan’s team has not been able to do well this year. They sit in 14th with just 15 wins and 39 losses. The Magic, on the other hand, have not been doing too well compared to the Hornets as well. They are just above the Hornets but with six more wins. Tonight, both of these teams will battle it out on the court but are hit with some serious injuries ahead of the game.
Paolo Banchero is available for the Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Hornets game tonight
Paolo Banchero has been one of the standout players for the Magic this season. The NBA world was aware of his talent, but it certainly looks like he has the potential to be a prodigy. Out of 53 games, Banchero has featured in 46, indicating that he has what it takes to perform at the highest level as well. With that said, he is available for the game against the Hornets tonight, to Magic fans’ relief. However, the Magic will miss Mo Bamba and Jalen Suggs for the game tonight.
Mo Bamba has been suspended 4 games and Austin Rivers has been suspended 3 games following their altercation on Friday night
Jalen Suggs also suspended 1 game pic.twitter.com/DciGM6oj8J
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 5, 2023
Their on-the-court antics against the T-Wolves led the NBA to suspend Bamba and Suggs. Bamba will be suspended for 4 games and Suggs will only miss the game against the Hornets. Fans can expect him to be available for their next game against the New York Knicks.
Orlando Magic injury report
- Mo Bamba (suspended)
- Jalen Suggs (suspended)
- Chuma Okeke (out)
Orlando Magic expected roster
- Paolo Banchero
- Franze Wagner
- Markelle Fultz
- Gary Harris
- Moritz Wagner
Charlotte Hornets injury report
- Cody Martin (out)
- Kelly Oubre Jr. (out)
Charlotte Hornets expected roster
- LaMelo Ball
- Terry Rozier
- PJ Washington
- Gordon Hayward
- Mason Plumlee
Cody Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. continue to be on the Hornets’ injury report. They will miss the game against the Magic tonight with knee and hand injuries respectively.
The Magic are the favorites to take the win against the Hornets tonight
The Magic boast the likes of Banchero and Franz Wagner on their roster who have proven to be a good partnership this season. In addition to that, the Hornets’ defense has been quite unstable this year, leading many to believe it will be quite a huge task to take the win tonight. With that said, the 2022 NBA Draft’s #1 pick has been on fire this season. He has averaged 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this season. Paolo also leads the Magic roster in assists, rebounds, and steals per game.
The Hornets do not have a threat like Paolo on their team. The former Duke superstar is a natural playmaker who is precise when it comes to passing. It is mainly because of his vision that Banchero manages to find his teammates with ease. The Hornets are highly unlikely to stop him at the frontcourt tonight as Banchero continues to be the best rookie this year.
The last time the Hornets faced the Magic was in November 2022, LaMelo Ball and Co. took a 112-105 win. However, an interesting point to note is that Banchero did not play in that game and experts predict that he could have been the missing piece for the Magic against the Hornets.
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