Beede’s Breakdown: How Magic crushed Hornets in NBA Cup win

The court inside Kia Center might have looked different than usual for Orlando‘s first NBA Cup group play matchup against the Hornets — it was light grey with a large gold trophy in the center and a blue outline — but the Magic‘s pathway to victory looked much the same Tuesday night as it did in their last two.

Missing Paolo Banchero (torn right abdominal muscle) and Wendell Carter Jr. (left foot plantar fasciitis), Jamahl Mosley’s squad won their third straight game at home, where they improved to 5-0 this season.

Riding a season-high 32 points from Franz Wagner, who didn’t play the fourth quarter on the first night of a back-to-back, the Magic used a 30-6 run in the second half to capture…