NBA playoffs
Hornets down Magic in four games, advance to semifinals ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Baron Davis’ second straight triple-double meant the Hornets will get to play another playoff round in Charlotte.
Davis had 28 points and Charlotte beat the Orlando Magic 102-85 Tuesday night to win the first-round playoff series in four games. He added 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
For the best-of-five series, Davis averaged 27.5 points, 9.3 assists and nine rebounds for the Hornets, who are awaiting league approval to relocate to New Orleans for next season.
Jamal Magliore added 19 points, nine in the fourth quarter, for the Hornets before being ejected with 5:46 remaining after he struck Tracy McGrady in the head for a flagrant foul. David Wesley of the Hornets had nine of his 18 points in the first quarter.
The Hornets will play the winner of the New Jersey-Indiana series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Nets and Pacers played Game 4 of their series later Tuesday night.
McGrady, who had guaranteed an Orlando win in Game 4, led the Magic with 35 points and six assists. He hurt his chronically balky back a few minutes into the game, but returned a minute later.
Patrick Ewing, in what may be his final game after a 17-year NBA career, had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando, while Darrell Armstrong scored 11 points.
In the course of making his victory promise, McGrady also declared himself as the series’ best player.
But Davis put that argument to rest in the second half, posting 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Perhaps Davis’ most devastating play came late in the third quarter, when the Magic were slowly rallying from a 12-point deficit.
With the shot clock winding down and two men on him, Davis cooly drilled a straightaway 3-pointer to put the Hornets ahead 66-57 with 3:36 left in the quarter.
Two foul shots by Magliore and another by Davis followed in the next 1:11 to restore the 12-point lead, and the Magic never came closer than five again.
Orlando coach Doc Rivers, hoping to get more offense, shook up his lineup. Mike Miller, who is plagued by sore left ankle, started at small forward while Monty Williams came off the bench.
Miller was the Magic’s second-leading scorer in the regular season (15.2 points), but hasn’t been the same since spraining the ankle on March 8. Entering Game 4, he had nine points in 32 postseason minutes.
Miller rewarded Rivers’ gamble early with eight points and two assists in the opening 10 minutes. But when fighting through a pick by P.J. Brown with 1:14 remaining in the quarter, he suffered an eight-stitch gash above his right eye.
Miller returned early in the second quarter, but only had two points after that.
Hornets forward Jamal Mashburn missed his third straight game. He’s still back in Charlotte, recovering from mild anemia and B-12 deficiency, and Hornets coach Paul Silas said it was unknown when he would return.
NOTES: Charlotte improved its record in possible series-clinching games to 4-3. … Orlando fell to 4-7 in elimination games, and has never won series after losing Game 1. … After a one-game absence, the Jumbotron at T.D. Waterhouse Centre was working. … Former Orlando star Nick “Cadillac” Anderson was in attendance.