Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Magic advanced to the first round of the playoffs after demolishing the Charlotte Hornets in the Play-In Tournament

Coach Jamahl Mosley’s job was on the line, and the players made sure to keep him around for a little longer. 

The Orlando Magic put the squeeze on the Charlotte Hornets early with prison ball defense that blew up actions, plus they ravaged the lane like a band of marauders sacking a castle. Paolo Banchero atoned for Wednesday’s dreadful performance against the Philadelphia 76ers by turning into a raging bull, and Wendell Carter Jr. played a big part in breaking open the game. 

Perhaps it was the Magic playing like world beaters at home because they had no choice. Or maybe it was cosmic forces putting a stop to the Hornets after LaMelo Ball wiped Bam Adebayo out of Tuesday’s Play-In Tournament game, and the Miami Heat lost a close one without their captain. 

The game, which determined the eighth seed, was out of reach before intermission, mentally extinguishing the Hornets who were slower to react to loose balls and get back in transition. Ball was lucky the refs weren’t enforcing carrying violations, and he still followed up his go-ahead shot against the Heat by showing up when it was too late, instead of entering his first playoffs, in his sixth season. 

The snowball effect had Miles Bridges so frustrated he even pressed on Desmond Bane’s neck when trying to get up after going for a loose ball. This time, the officials were not blind like Tuesday’s crew and didn’t make the colossal mistake of missing something below the belt.  

How ugly did it get for the Hornets? Well, let’s just say a fresh carcass puts up a better fight against a shoal of piranhas. The Hornets had their seat warmers on in the charter before the third quarter was up, too.

Repeated trips to the line, and Goga Bitadze’s four blocks were some of the little things that kept the Magic’s motor running while they had a large lead. 

It should have never gotten to this point, but now the Magic will play the first-seeded Detroit Pistons — the team they were expected to be. They played with controlled rage against Charlotte, but maintaining that over a seven-game series against a team as rugged, feisty and athletic as the Pistons could be like trying to beat the feds in a RICO case.

With Orlando’s frontline of Banchero, Carter, and Franz Wagner, against Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart, round one will have heavyweight action in the trenches that fans cannot miss. 

The Magic will need Banchero to avoid turnovers and be unrestrainable when he puts his head down on the move. Additionally, Bane, Wagner and key reserves will need to do a lot of the heavy lifting as well. Getting all of that at the same time is practically asking for an arm and a leg because the Magic have been the opposite of a contender. 

They’ll have a day off before taking on the Pistons in Game 1 on Sunday. The hosts will have rested their bodies, minds and souls for six nights. Keep in mind that only six eighth seeds in NBA history have upset the favorite.