The Charlotte Hornets will host the Orlando Magic at Spectrum Center on Tuesday.

The Hornets (15-46) are already thinking about the 2024-25 NBA season but are giving up on the current one. The best example of that is the fact that they have delivered some interesting performances in recent weeks, but the results haven’t gone their way. Playing a tough stretch hasn’t done them any favors, either. The Hornets enter this game on a four-game losing skid following their 111-106 defeat to the Toronto Raptors the last time out. Three of those four defeats came on the road and two were against playoff-caliber opponents, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Charlotte will return home here, where they own an 8-22 record. If the Hornets will rely on one player to end their losing slide, that’s Miles Bridges. He’s averaging 214 points per game this season and is proving to be a reliable building block for the long-term picture of the franchise.

Nick Richards (foot) is a game-time call for Tuesday. LaMelo Ball (ankle), Mark Williams (back), Seth Curry (ankle) and Cody Martin (ankle) are all out.

The Magic (35-26) have already surpassed their win tally from the 2022-23 campaign and look all but set to make the playoffs this season. Landing a future superstar such as Paolo Banchero has paid off for Orlando, and the second-year forward out of Duke, who earned the first All-Star nod of his career this season, has been the Magic’s biggest difference maker so far. In fact, he leads the team in points (22.9), rebounds (6.9) and assists (5.2) per game. To make things even better for Orlando, the Magic enter this game on a three-game winning streak following their 113-91 win over the Detroit Pistons the last time out while winning four of their last five. Last but not least, the Magic have also proven to be reliable on the road thanks to a 14-18 record away from Kia Center.

Markelle Fultz (knee) is a game-time call for Tuesday. The rest of the team is fit and available.