Jamahl Mosley gives Magic fans credit for electrifying atmosphere vs. Hornets

Behind a clinical all-around performance, the Orlando Magic blew past the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 on Friday night, clinching the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed in the NBA Play-In Tournament, and head coach Jamahl Mosley made it clear that it was the home crowd that made all the difference.

Before addressing the media postgame, Mosley credited the atmosphere inside the Kia Center as a driving force behind the win.

“Yeah, before you say anything, I’m gonna tell you right now, the reason why we got this victory more plays than one was our fans,” said Mosley. “They were absolutely unbelievable, and they’ve been unbelievable through the ups and downs, the high lows. They propelled us to get this win. The energy that they brought, the energy for our group, and I can’t say enough, we can’t say enough about this fan base and the way that they support us and got this thing going in the right direction.”

Before taking any questions post-game, coach Jamahl Mosley credited Orlando fans and the electric atmosphere inside Kia Center as one of the key reasons why the #Magic took down the Hornets tonight: pic.twitter.com/APUzc51Vdm

— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) April 18, 2026

The Magic took control immediately, building a 38-16 lead after the first quarter while shooting 67% (16-of-24) from the field. They also forced four turnovers and recorded two blocks in the opening period, setting the tone with 10-0 and 13-0 runs. By halftime, Orlando had extended the margin to 31 points, limiting Charlotte to just 37 points on 13-of-41 shooting (31.7%) across the first two quarters.

Paolo Banchero led the way with 25 points, adding five rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block. He scored 12 points in the first quarter alone on 5-of-7 shooting. Franz Wagner contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Wendell Carter Jr. scored 16 points, hitting both of his three-point attempts, along with six rebounds. Carter, Banchero, and Jalen Suggs combined for 40 first-half points on 16-of-23 shooting.

The Magic defense remained the defining factor throughout. The team finished the first half with five blocks and forced 14 turnovers, including consecutive shot-clock violations. The Hornets, which averaged 43.3 three-point attempts per game, never found their touch early from deep, going 3-of-10 in the first quarter and shooting just 25% (5-of-20) overall.

Despite entering the game with a 33-16 record since Jan. 1 and the league’s best offensive rating (120.7) during that stretch, Charlotte failed to translate that form. LaMelo Ball scored only two points in the first half and finished with 23 points after scoring 21 in the second half. Miles Bridges contributed 15 points, Brandon Miller had 14 (4-of-7 from three), and rookie Kon Knueppel scored 11 on 3-of-10 shooting.

The loss extends the Hornets’ playoff drought to 10 consecutive seasons. Meanwhile, the Magic advance to face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The post Jamahl Mosley gives Magic fans credit for electrifying atmosphere vs. Hornets appeared first on ClutchPoints.