Hosting Magic Gaming Falls in Heartbreaker to Hornets Venom GT in TIPOFF Group Play

ORLANDO – For the first time in team history, Magic Gaming hosted an opponent in their home facility.

The crowd was electric, and the finish was electrifying, although the result didn’t favor the home squad.

Despite erasing an eight-point deficit with under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Orlando fell 61-60 to Hornets Venom GT in a heartbreaker in TIPOFF group play at the leAD Lake Nona Sports & Health Accelerator on Sunday afternoon.

Antoine “antoinelove” Times flushed home a go-ahead dunk with 1.7 seconds left in what was the last of five consecutive made shots by both teams combined in the final minute. Matthew “Matty” Grant was unable to connect on a potential game-winning mid-range jumper at the buzzer.

“We kind of botched the defensive possession prior,” Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards said about the antoinelove dunk. “It really shouldn’t have been a one-possession game at the end there. It ended up being that and they were able to close it out. The play-call (on the final shot) was definitely not ran the right way off the timeout. It was definitely not the design we drew up. A little disheartening to not get the attempt we had drawn up.”

Joshua “unguardable” Hunter had another terrific game for the Magic with 26 points and nine assists. Jarvis “Simptoms” Thompson recorded 19 points. They each made back-to-back shots during Orlando’s 8-0 run that tied the game at 55. Simptoms also hit a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left that gave the Magic their first lead since it was 8-7 early in the first period.

Ball movement and ball protection were two strengths for the Magic. They dished out 18 assists, three more than the Hornets, and only committed five turnovers, three fewer than Charlotte.

The Hornets, however, made two more 3-pointers than the Magic and out-rebounded them by four.

Antoinelove finished with 22 points and five assists for the winners, while Kingsley “Crown” Braggs registered 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Although disappointed about the loss, Edwards says it was fantastic to have an in-person audience there to cheer the team on.

“It was awesome having everybody come out and show support for Magic Gaming,” he said. “We love it out here in Lake Nona. We’re thrilled to be here and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Magic Gaming returns to remote play on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET when they take on Raptors Uprising GC.