After Charlotte defeated the Orlando Magic 124-115 on Friday, Hornets forward Brandon Miller was asked if it had been one of those nights where he “just knew it was going in.”

“Every night’s like that,” Miller said. “Thank you.”

But on Friday night, it really was – at least in the first half.

By halftime against Orlando, Miller had scored 26 points. The rookie from Alabama did so by making all 10 of his shots, including five 3-pointers, and sinking his only free throw.

Miller became the second player in the NBA since complete period stats became available in the 1996-97 season to score at least 25 points while shooting 100 percent from the floor (with at least five 3-point baskets) and 100 percent at the free-throw line.

The first was Stephen Curry in the Golden State Warriors’ 147-109 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 14, 2021. In the second half of that game, the 10-time All-Star made all eight of his shots, including six 3-pointers, and his three free throws for 25 points.

Miller did Curry one point better on Friday night at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“That’s a great accomplishment,” Miller said. “He’s one of the greats. Definitely a great shooter, so just being in that category, I think that’s a blessing.”

Three other players in the 28-season span have scored at least 26 points in a half while making all their shots and free throws. But Serge Ibaka in the Toronto Raptors’ 121-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 4, 2018, Kyrie Irving in the Brooklyn Nets’ 133-118 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 31, 2020, and Joel Embid in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 146-128 victory over the Washington Wizards on Nov. 6, 2023, did not have at least five 3-point baskets. Irving had four, Ibaka had one and Embid had none.

“I don’t think it’s all about the shots,” Miller said of his first-half performance. “I think there’s more things to it. We did a great job against their top scorers on the defensive side that just got us easy buckets like that in transition, and then our intensity from the start to the finish, I think that’s why we won the game tonight.”

Miller finished the game with 32 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot.

“He’s a very mature, very poised player,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. “I mean, the things he does, you can’t teach. It’s interesting watching him, though, because all the stuff you want him to do as a team, he’s good at. But then all the things that as a coach you have no say over, he’s good at that, too. We function well when he’s out there because the team stuff, he’s great at, and then he’s a talented guy.

“But he’s a great competitor. Great competitor.”

Miller took only three shots in the second half.

“The second half, obviously, was hard for him because they just sent the second defender at him whenever he had the ball,” Clifford said.

But the Hornets coach said the rookie made the right decisions with the basketball.

“Especially in the fourth quarter, he was really good,” Clifford said. “He got the ball out, and that’s when we got the ball to the rim, and we had some good possessions just because he made good, quick, simple passes out of the double-team. He did a really good job.”

Battling for homecourt advantage in its first-round playoff series, the Magic remained tied with the New York Knicks for fourth in the Eastern Conference at 45-32 after falling to Charlotte, which has a 19-58 record.

The second player picked in the 2023 NBA Draft, Miller has won the past three Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards. In 70 games this season, he has averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

The Hornets have five games remaining on their 2023-24 NBA schedule. Charlotte hosts Oklahoma City at 5 p.m. CDT Sunday in its next game.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.