National Basketball Association
Charlotte 109, Orlando 102
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #32 Marat Kogut, #77 Karl Lane
Attendance: 16034

ORLANDO, Fla.-- Frank Kaminsky kept alive the Charlotte Hornets' playoff hopes Wednesday night.

His timing was perfect. And so was his shot.

Kaminsky scored 13 of his 18 points in a flawless fourth quarter as he led the Hornets to a come-from-behind, 109-102 victory over the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center.

The race for the playoffs will continue for the Hornets (32-39), who won their third consecutive game. Charlotte is three games behind the eighth-place Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.

"I think they all know what they're playing for now," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "The last three games, we've been very good."

Kaminsky was great in the fourth when he hit all four of his shots, including three 3-pointers in a three-minute stretch that gave the Hornets a lead they never lost. He also hit a pair of free throws in the fourth.

"Once I saw the first one go in, I knew they would fall," Kaminsky said. "It wasn't a matter of if, but when. You hit one, and you start looking for your shot. It just feels like we're doing the right things now."

The Magic (26-46) lost to the Hornets for the fourth time this season.

Kemba Walker led everyone with 22 points and added seven assists. Reserve Marco Belinelli scored 20 points, including 16 in a five-minute, second-quarter stretch.

Charlotte center Cody Zeller scored 15 points. Marvin Williams had seven points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Nicolas Batum contributed 10 points.

"I don't think there's any doubt in this locker room that we can still reach the playoffs," Williams said. "We had our troubles earlier, but we're playing well now. There's no reason we can't do it now, but we have to keep winning."

The Hornets start a three-game homestand Friday against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, a likely first-round opponent if they reach the playoffs as a No. 8 seed.

"This (three-game winning streak) gives us a chance," Walker said. "It gives us a reason to keep fighting. We have purpose. We have reason to still go after something. We have to keep fighting and hope things go our way."

Terrence Ross led the Magic with 19 points. Nikola Vucevic had 14 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and eight assists. Elfrid Payton amassed 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Evan Fournier had 15 points, and reserve Jodie Meeks scored 10.

"Credit our opponent. They made more plays down the stretch than we did. This is very disappointing. You never want to lose to a team four times in a season," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "We made plays in the fourth that created good shots, but we just didn't knock them down. That was the difference."

The Magic made only seven of 20 shots in the fourth. The Hornets made 11 of 20.

Kaminsky scored eight consecutive points -- including back-to-back 3-pointers -- midway in the fourth, giving the Hornets their first lead, 90-89, of the second half. His third 3-pointer of the period gave the Hornets a 99-94 lead.

Vucevic scored 10 points in the third quarter, and the Magic took a five-point lead into the final period. Ross and Aaron Gordon hit back-to-back 3-pointers midway in the third to build a 67-57 lead, their biggest of the game.

The Magic led, 54-48, at halftime when 10 of their players scored and all played at least eight minutes.

Belinelli blistered the Magic for 16 points in the first five minutes of the second quarter, quickly turning a six-point deficit into a five-point lead. He hit three 3-pointers, three free throws and a pair of short jumpers in an impressive shooting display.

The Magic, though, quickly recovered and led by as many as eight points later in the period. Ross led the Magic with 11 points in the first two periods.

NOTES: Hornets coach Steve Clifford said before the game that Michael Jordan, team owner, scoffs at the recent trend around the league of resting healthy players during the regular season. "(Jordan) doesn't understand it. Nor does (assistant coach) Patrick Ewing. Their thing is, that's why you play. You train all year to play those 82 games." ... The Hornets beat the Magic in all three previous meetings this season, by an average of 26.7 points while making 54 percent of their shots. ... They dominated around the basket early Wednesday, scoring 18 of their first 21 points from inside the lane. ... The Hornets have struggled in close games throughout this season, going 0-9 in games decided by three points or less. ... Magic reserve Jeff Green missed the game Wednesday because of back spasms, and his playing time went to G/F Mario Hezonja.
Top Game Performances
 
Charlotte   Orlando
Kemba Walker 22 Scoring Terrence Ross 19
Kemba Walker 7 Assists Nikola Vucevic 8
Marvin Williams 10 Rebounds Nikola Vucevic 12
Marco Belinelli 7 Free Throws Made Evan Fournier 2
Cody Zeller 3 Steals Terrence Ross 2
Frank Kaminsky 1 Blocks Nikola Vucevic 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Charlotte 109 46.7 9-27 16-18 24 43 3 9 10
Orlando 102 45.5 14-40 8-10 26 43 3 5 14
Upcoming Games
  • Orlando will play their next game at home against Detroit. The Magic have a W/L % of .259 after a win and .422 after a loss.
  • Charlotte will play their next game at home against Cleveland. The Hornets have a W/L % of .516 after a win and .400 after a loss.