Magic 113, Hornets 98
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Veteran Channing Frye led a well-balanced attack with a season-high 17 points as the Orlando Magic cruised to a 113-98 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
The Magic (14-11) had seven players score in double figure and shot 55.8 percent from the field (43 of 77) and 58.3 percent from 3-point range (14 of 24).
Center Nikola Vucevic finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. Guard Evan Fournier had 15 points and a trio of 3-pointers. Guard Elfrid Payton contributed 12 points and nine assists. Forward Tobias Harris had 13 points and five rebounds. Reserves Victor Oladipo and Jason Smith scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Hornets (14-10) never got closer than 11 points in the second half.
Reserve Jeremy Lamb led Charlotte with 16 points. Hornets leading scorer Kemba Walker had a cold-shooting night and hit only 4 of 12 from the field for 12 points and added nine assists. Forward P.J. Hairston scored a season-high 14 points.
The Magic led by 16 going into the fourth quarter and rookie Mario Hezonja hit a 3-pointer to boost the lead to 94-75.
Frye led the Magic charge by hitting 5 of 7 3-point attempts. Orlando won its second consecutive game, building off a 23-point victory over Brooklyn on Monday.
The Magic led by as many as 18 points early in the third quarter. Hairston hit his third 3-pointer, allowing the Hornets to cut the deficit to 72-59 midway through the quarter.
Walker made only two of his first 10 shots from the floor but came alive late in the third quarter when he scored 10 points. He had five consecutive points for the Hornets, but they still trailed by 15.
The Magic hit 9 of 15 shots from 3-point range for a 58-45 lead at halftime. Frye was 4 of 5 to lead all scorers with 12 points at intermission.
The Magic started with good ball movement, collecting nine assists on their first nine field goals while building a 27-17 lead.
The Hornets were sloppy with 11 turnovers in the first half but made 7 of 16 3-point shots. Hairston led Charlotte early with nine points and two 3-pointers before intermission.
NOTES: Hornets C Al Jefferson served the first game of his five-game suspension for violating the NBA anti-drug policy. He had missed the previous six games with a strained calf muscle and the Hornets went 4-2. Jefferson becomes a free agent this summer after making $13.5 million this season. Cody Zeller started again in his place. Zeller had scored 12 points or more in three of the previous five games. ... This was the first of a home-heavy stretch for the Magic, who play seven of eight in the Amway Center. "If you want to be a good team in this league, you have to take care of home court," C Nikola Vucevic said before the game. "But every game counts, and they all are going to matter at the end of the season." ... The Hornets, who came into the game with a 14-9 record, are off to their best start since the 2000-01 season. ... The Magic came into the game looking for their eighth victory at home this season. They did not get their seventh home win last season until Feb. 11.