Charlotte @ Orlando preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 14, 2018 ) Charlotte 104, Orlando 102

The Charlotte Hornets were mathematically eliminated from postseason competition late last week and immediately went into building mode, giving the young players opportunities to showcase their talents. The Orlando Magic, who host the Hornets on Friday, have seemingly been in that mode since December but are still showing some fight down the stretch.

Charlotte dropped its last four games but used the last two contests to give expanded minutes to young players like guards Julyan Stone and Malik Monk and center Willy Hernangomez off the bench. Both the young players and the veterans will reportedly be trying to impress veteran executive Mitch Kupchak, who is in talks to become the Hornets' president of basketball operations. The Magic are going with young players as well but are still trying to be competitive and beat the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks in the last two games. "You play for the respect of the game, the respect of your teammates and the respect of your organization, so when it comes time for those playoff games it makes it even easier," Orlando power forward Aaron Gordon told reporters. "That's because you know when there was nothing to play for, you were still playing hard. Then, when the moment comes, you’ll be ready. So, there's no time to skip; the only time is now, and we have to take care of what's happening now with these games."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Charlotte), FS Florida (Orlando)

ABOUT THE HORNETS (34-45): Monk recorded 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting in Tuesday's loss, pouring in 16 points in the fourth quarter to keep the game close. "We just started attacking more, being more aggressive on defense and offense," Monk told reporters of the difference in the final period. "Then, the offense got it going after the defense got a couple of stops, a couple big stops. Then I made a couple plays." Hernangomez scored in double figures in each of the last three games and is 9-of-15 from the floor in that span while averaging 9.3 rebounds in just 18.3 minutes.

ABOUT THE MAGIC (24-54): Orlando is grabbing players from its G League affiliate and having some success of late, with Jamel Artis providing a bright spot. Artis scored a season-high 18 points in Wednesday's win after scoring 16 in the previous contest and is 14-of-23 from the field in that span. "We do have a lot of chemistry because we’ve all been playing in the G League together," Artis told reporters of a reserve corps that lately has also included shooting guard Rodney Purvis and center Khem Birch. "Down in crunch time, we know what each other’s tendencies are, and we like to play together. We’re not selfish and we’re all unselfish. We ended out the game and I think that (unselfishness) helped us get the win."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hornets C Dwight Howard set a franchise single-season record with his 50th double-double on Tuesday.

2. Magic PF Jonathan Isaac (ankle) sat out the last two games and is day-to-day.

3. Charlotte took the first three meetings this season by an average of 6.3 points.

PREDICTION: Hornets 108, Magic 103