Magic snap 4-game skid with a win over Hornets

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Franz Wagner scored 21 points and the Orlando Magic snapped a four-game losing streak with a 123-107 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.

Paolo Banchero had 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Magic, who led by as many as 20 points in their second win of the season. Wagner was questionable with a left heel contusion going into the game but started.

LaMelo Ball had 17 points and 13 assists for the Hornets, his third double-double of the season.

The Magic were playing the second of a back-to-back, after falling 135-116 loss to the Pistons on Wednesday.

BUCKS 120, WARRIORS 110

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Ryan Rollins set a career scoring high for a second straight game with 32 points as Milwaukee withstood Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence to beat Golden State.

Antetokounmpo, who entered Thursday ranked second in the league in scoring (36.3) and rebounding (14.0), was dealing with left knee soreness that had him listed as probable in the Bucks’ injury report. The Bucks announced about an hour before the opening tip that the two-time MVP had been ruled out, and he watched the game from the bench.

Rollins shot 13 of 21 from the floor and 5 of 7 from 3-point range just two nights after scoring 25 points in a 121-111 victory over the New York Knicks. Rollins, who began his NBA career with Golden State in 2022-23, also had eight assists.

Myles Turner added 17 points for the Bucks. Cole Anthony had 16 before fouling out with 7:34 left to lead a Milwaukee bench that outscored Golden State’s reserves 38-29.

Stephen Curry scored 27, Jonathan Kuminga 24 and Jimmy Butler 23 for Golden State. Butler also had 11 rebounds.

THUNDER 127, WIZARDS 108

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, and Oklahoma City improved to 6-0 by beating Washington.

Reserve Ajay Mitchell added 20 points for the Thunder. He made all six of his free throws and has been perfect on 19 attempts from the line this season.

Isaiah Joe, who missed Oklahoma City’s first five games with a knee bruise, scored 20 points and made five 3-pointers for a team that entered the night last in the league in 3-point percentage at 28.6%.

Oklahoma City forced 22 turnovers and had only six. Cason Wallace led the Thunder with four steals and Alex Caruso had three.

CJ McCollum had 19 points and Bilal Coulibaly added 16 for Washington, which lost its third straight and fell to 1-4.

SPURS 107, HEAT 101

SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and five blocked shots, and San Antonio Spurs improved to 5-0 for the first time in franchise history by beating Miami.

San Antonio won four straight to open a season on three previous occasions, most recently 2017. The Spurs, Heat and Sacramento Kings were the only franchises never to open a season 5-0. Miami couldn’t prevent San Antonio from exiting that club despite a determined effort.

Bam Adebayo had 31 points, 10 rebounds and three assists for the Heat in a matchup of All-Star centers.

The Heat were without Norman Powell (strained groin), Tyler Herro (ankle), Kasparas Jakucionis (strained groin) and Nikola Jovic (bruised hip), but the depleted roster made a strong push in the fourth quarter before Miami’s three-game winning streak was snapped.