Coach Jamahl Mosley ejected as Magic fall to host Hornets, 130-111

Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel on Mar 19, 2026

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Magic coach Jamahl Mosely stressed the importance of Orlando slowing down the Hornets from 3-point range and in transition when speaking with the media ahead of Thursday’s game at Charlotte.

The Magic failed to accomplish both tasks, and Mosley was unavailable for more than half the contest inside Spectrum Center.

With Orlando trailing by 15 points and roughly five minutes left in the second quarter, Mosley was ejected from the game after protesting a non-call against the Hornets.

The Magic allowed 72 points in the first half, fell down by 19 at the break and never recovered in a 130-111 loss against the Hornets, who outrebounded Orlando 41-31.

“When you’re playing a team like that, you give them an inch and they take a mile,” Magic guard Desmond Bane said. “You’ve got to be extremely locked in, disciplined on defense … They scored the ball in a variety of ways.”

Both sides entered 7-3 in their last 10 games, but for Orlando, the loss was its third in a row while Charlotte won its second straight.

Notching 110 points in the first three quarters, the Hornets (36-34) also secured the four-game regular-season series against the Magic 3-1.

The Magic (38-31) return home when the Lakers make their lone trip of the regular season to Kia Center on Saturday.

Mosley ejected

Although he’s picked up individual technical fouls in the past, Thursday’s game marked the first time in Mosley’s career that he had been ejected from a game.

Mosley picked up his first technical foul for questioning why a foul wasn’t called on the Hornets after Bane (24 points) tried to put back an offensive rebound. From there, Mosley continued to protest the non-call and eventually earned a second technical, resulting in the ejection from head official Scott Foster.

“I’ve got to be better for our group in that situation,” Mosley said about his ejection. “But listen, I thought we went to the basket a couple times, didn’t get a couple calls that were very similar on the other end and just a level of consistency in that. So, that’s what I was fighting for, for our guys to be able to see that if we’re going to play a physical style of basketball, which we do, that I’m OK with it being called on the other end, as long as we’re getting the same call on our end.

“Again, our guys wanted to continue to fight, keep fighting no matter what’s going on in the game. And I’ve got to be better in that situation to not put us up against the wall there,” he added.

Magic assistant coaches Dale Osbourne and Joe Prunty attempted to bring Mosley back to the bench but their efforts in corralling the upset coach were unsuccessful.

Prunty, who coached the second half of a Nov. 22 game for the Magic against the Knicks after Mosley dealt with an illness, served as the acting head coach the rest of the night.

Magic guard Jalen Suggs (nine points in 22 minutes) also received a technical foul from Foster in the first quarter.

Second-quarter swing

Mosley’s ejection wasn’t the only thing that went wrong for the Magic prior to halftime.

The Hornets outscored Orlando 38-21 in the second quarter, sunk seven 3-pointers and limited the Magic to just four points in the paint.

Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel scored 12 of his 17 points in the second frame.

Charlotte didn’t slow down from there either, building their lead up to as many as 35 points in the third quarter.

Difference from distance

Charlotte entered the contest with the third-best 3-point percentage in the NBA (37.8%) and averaged the most made 3s per night (16.1).

On the other end, Orlando ranked 26th in 3-point percentage (34.5%) and 24th in made triples per night (11.8). The difference between the sides couldn’t have been more glaring.

In the third quarter alone, the Hornets shot 9 for 16 from beyond the arc while the Magic shot 1 for 11.

Overall, Charlotte ended 22 for 46 (48%) and held Orlando to 33% from distance (14 for 42).

Carter update

Wendell Carter Jr. missed his fourth game of the season due to a left rib mild contusion. He wasn’t added to the team’s injury report until 2 p.m., or roughly five hours before Thursday’s tip-off.

Mosley said before the game Carter will receive treatment, and the team will see how he responds to that over the next day or so.

Orlando was also without Anthony Black (left lateral abdominal strain), Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain injury management) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain)

Honoring Curry

At halftime of Thursday’s game, the Hornets honored franchise great Dell Curry by retiring his No. 30 jersey.

Curry, the father of Stephen and Seth Curry, was the franchise’s leader in games played (701), points scored (9,839), field-goals made (3,951) and 3-pointers made (929) when he retired in 2002.

“He’s been a centerpiece for this organization (and) for this city for so long,” Mosley said before the game. “You’re retiring his jersey because of the numbers he put up, but I think it’s more about the human being he is … always carrying a smile on his race.”