ORLANDO, Fla. _ It takes a lot to snap Orlando Magic fans out of their placidity, but the Magic managed to do that Wednesday night.
Boos descended from the Amway Center stands when the Charlotte Hornets' Nicolas Batum sank a 3-pointer late in the third quarter.
Fans had good reason to feel frustrated.
The game had fallen out of the Magic's grasp.
The Hornets dominated the third quarter and sent the Magic to a 120-101 loss in front of a disappointed announced crowd of 18,273.
This Magic roster was constructed to be a physical, defense-first team. Team officials traded for Serge Ibaka on draft night and signed Bismack Biyombo in free agency.
But over the last few weeks, the Magic have lost their defense-first identity. Wednesday's game provided an ugly example of the slippage. The Hornets sank 59 percent of their shots during the first three quarters and shot 55 percent overall.
Charlotte's backcourt tandem of Kemba Walker and Batum inflicted most of the damage. Walker scored 21 points and dished out five assists. Batum compiled 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and probably would have cruised to a triple-double if he had not been rested for the entire fourth quarter.
The Magic received almost nothing from their top two small forwards, Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green. Gordon scored just two points on 1-of-5 shooting, while Green scored one point as he made just one of the four shots he attempted.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the Hornets' starting small forward, scored 12 points, collected six rebounds and distributed four assists. His teammates received a significant boost from his energy.
Charlotte led 62-55 at halftime.
Then, Orlando collapsed during the third quarter.
The Hornets made 14 of their 20 shots and outscored the Magic 35-13.
Some fans started to leave the arena at the end of the quarter.
It was a disappointing way to end the calendar year for the Magic, who began the day just one game behind the Eastern Conference's sixth-place team.
The Magic finished their December schedule with an 8-8 record.
The Hornets (18-14) have balance.
The Magic (15-19) struggle these days to achieve balance. They once were a defense-first team, but they now seem to value offense more than anything else.
Ibaka finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks. But he missed all four shots he attempted during the third quarter.
Neither team played much defense in the first half.
Orlando made 59 percent of its shots, while Charlotte made 55 percent of its attempts.
Midway through the second quarter, the Hornets broke a 41-41 tie with a 9-0 run.
Green missed 3-pointers on consecutive Magic possessions. Meanwhile, Walker sank a 3-pointer and later dished off to Kidd-Gilchrist for a layup. The scores put Charlotte ahead, 45-41.
Ramon Sessions and Walker each made a pair of free throws, and the Hornets had a 50-41 lead.
Charlotte expanded its lead early in the third quarter, opening the period with a 30-6 run.
A 3-pointer by Marvin Williams and a three-point play by Walker put the Hornets ahead, 76-59.
It got worse.
Following a pair of free throws by Cody Zeller and an easy dunk by Batum, Zeller intercepted a pass by Ibaka. A few seconds later, Zeller received a pass from Williams and dunked, extending Charlotte's advantage to 82-61.
The game was out of hand.
When the Hornets took a 31-point lead on Batum's 3-pointer late in the third quarter, the fans vented their frustrations.
The Magic will not play again until New Year's Day.
For their 2017 to be better than their 2016, they will need to return to their defense-first roots.
