The Orlando Magic officially punched their ticket to the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 2026, with a dominant 121-90 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at the Kia Center. Led by a commanding performance from Paolo Banchero, the Magic secured the East's No. 8 seed and ended the Hornets' postseason hopes in blowout fashion. Game Recap: A First-Half Surge
: The Magic controlled the boards, outrebounding the Hornets 49-34. Top Performers Paolo Banchero Franz Wagner LaMelo Ball Miles Bridges Data sourced from NBA.com and ESPN . Key Storylines NBA PL: Hornets - Magic
: With this loss, the Hornets have now missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons , the longest active drought in the NBA. What's Next? The Orlando Magic officially punched their ticket to
: LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 23 points, 21 of which came during a high-scoring third quarter, but it was too little, too late to bridge the massive deficit. Game Recap: A First-Half Surge : The Magic
: Paolo Banchero set the tone early, scoring 25 points to lead all scorers and propel Orlando into the first round.
: The Magic raced to a 27-10 lead in the first quarter and ballooned that lead to 68-33 late in the first half.
The game was effectively decided early as Orlando opened with a relentless attack.