Magic crush Hornets in play-in to set up date with Pistons in first round of playoffs

ORLANDO, Fla.— Paolo Banchero scored 25 points and the Orlando Magic built a 35-point lead in the first half on the way to a 121-90 rout of Charlotte Hornets in a play-in tournament game on Friday night and advanced to a first-round playoff matchup against the Detroit Pistons.The Magic earned the No.

8 seed in playoffs and will start their best-of-seven series at Detroit on Sunday.LaMelo Ball scored 21 of his 23 points in the third quarter for Charlotte.Banchero had 12 points and Wendell Carter Jr.added 10 as the Hornets shot 5 for 20 with six turnovers in the first quarter and fell behind 38-16.Ball was scoreless with two turnovers when he went to the bench with three fouls with 7:10 left in the first half.

He did not score until Orlando’s lead had reached 35 points in the final seconds of the half.The Magic were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two postseasons and have not won a playoff round since 2010.The Hornets, who beat the Magic in their last three regular-season games, have not been in rhe playoffs since 2016....