Magic Bench Unit Brings 'Fire and Fight' in Loss vs. Hornets
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is learning how to win each and every time they step out on the court.
And without its leading scorer Paolo Banchero for the third consecutive game, the offense dug an early hole against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.
"You gotta give [the Hornets] credit," forward Franz Wagner said. "They applied a lot of ball pressure, especially in the first half. We just weren't strong enough with the ball."
The Magic coughed the ball over 13 times over the first 24 minutes and trailed 58-45 heading into the locker room.
"[Turnovers] was the game right there," head coach Jamahl Mosley said. "Turning the basketball over, losing possessions, and giving wide open lay ups on the other end."
Searching for a different look, Mosley turned to his second unit in hopes of igniting some kind of spark.
Led by floor general R.J. Hampton, the bench played over nine minutes to finish the quarter with a plus/minus of +4.
Hampton led all scorers in the quarter with 10, followed not far behind by rookie Caleb Houstan (6) who knocked down a pair of triples in the mist of a 9-2 run for Orlando.
"I think our bench did a great job coming in the game, trying to play with some fire, play with some fight and that intensity," Mosley said. "You gotta give them credit for coming in and being ready when their number was called."
And despite falling at the final buzzer, the bench laid the foundation for the Magic to outscore the Hornets 36-28 in the final quarter and keep themselves in the game.
"It's tough, but that's what the coaches preach, that next man up mentality" center Mo Bamba who finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench said. "Our starters didn't have it at first, they picked it up for us towards the end of the game."
"Just bringing energy as a bench unit and kinda just figuring it out as we go was huge for us. We were able to claw back a little bit but I think it was too late."
Currently posting a 3-3 record over its seven-game home stand, Orlando has an opportunity to finish the competitive stretch over .500 on Wednesday.
"I think we made some big strides these couple games," Wagner said. "We had some tough losses where it could have went either way. I think we just need to keep building on what we've been doing."
The Magic conclude its seven game home stand Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard
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