Paolo Banchero has 24 points and 8 rebounds as Orlando beats injury-riddled Charlotte 102-86

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 24 points and eight rebounds and the Orlando Magic shook off a cold-shooting first half to beat the Charlotte Hornets 102-86 on Wednesday night.

Franz Wagner added 16 points and seven rebounds and Anthony Black came off the bench to score 18 points.

Miles Bridges led the injury-plagued Hornets with 19 points and eight rebounds. Josh Green and Damion Baugh added 16 points each for Charlotte, which shot 39.5% for the game and lost its third game in a row.

The Magic's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Hornets' Nick Smith Jr. were ejected in the final seconds of the first half after an on-court verbal confrontation.

Hornets: With LaMelo Ball (sore right ankle ) and center Moussa Diabate (right eye abrasion) added to their long list of injuries, the Hornets go into the All-Star break having lost nine of 10.

Magic: Jalen Suggs, who missed his ninth straight game with a left quad contusion and his 19th game since Jan. 3, is expected to return after the All-Star break. Wednesday's win was only Orlando's fifth in 19 games without Suggs, dropping the Magic from fourth to ninth in the conference.

With Cole Anthony and Banchero hitting two 3-pointers each, the Magic broke away from a 55-55 tie to a 12-point lead in the final six minutes of the third quarter, and led by double digits throughout the fourth.

The NBA's poorest 3-point shooting team, the Magic made only 5 of 21 (23%) in the first half, then came back with 9 for 22 (41%) in the second half.

Hornets: Play at Los Angles Lakers on Feb. 19.

Magic: Play at Atlanta on Feb. 20.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) shoots the ball over Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte Hornets guard Elfrid Payton shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, right, goes up to shoot as he is defended by Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) steps past Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero towards the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte Hornets guard Elfrid Payton is defended by Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) is defended by Charlotte Hornets guard Elfrid Payton during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Iran's top judge hinted at fast trials and executions for those who were detained in nationwide protests against the country's theocracy, even as activists said Wednesday that the death toll rose to levels unseen in decades with at least 2,572 people killed so far.

Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comments about trials and executions in a video Tuesday, despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would “take very strong action” if executions take place.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the number of dead climbed to at least 2,571 early Wednesday. The figure dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

After Trump was informed on the number of deaths, he warned Iran's leaders that he was terminating any negotiations and would “act accordingly.”

Details of the crackdown began emerging Tuesday as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications countrywide when the protests broke out.

Here is the latest:

Major Middle East governments were discouraging the Trump administration from waging a war with Iran, fearing “unprecedented consequences” in the volatile region, an Arab Gulf diplomat said Wednesday.

The Cairo-based diplomat, who was given anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media, said major governments in the region including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabai and Pakistan have been “in constant contact” with the U.S. administration over a potential American strike on Iran that could explode into a “full-blown war.”

Such a war will “certainly” have dire repercussions “not only on the Middle East but also on the global economy," he said.

Samy Magdy contributed from Cairo.

Iranian state television said Wednesday’s mass funeral in Tehran would include 300 bodies of security force members and civilians. The funeral is expected to take place at Tehran University under heavy security.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency, which is tracking the death toll, said more than 2,550 people have been killed, 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated.

Twelve children were killed, along with nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said.

Gauging the demonstrations and the death toll from abroad has grown more difficult and The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll given the communications being disrupted in the country.

Melanie Lidman contributed from Jerusalem.

Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on countries that trade with Iran could impact India, an expert said, as New Delhi already faces existing 50% U.S. trade levies due its purchases of Russian oil.

Abhijit Mukhopadhyay, a senior economist at the Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi, said the bigger risk is not India-Iran trade, but India’s access to the U.S. market as its exports to Iran are modest.

India mainly exports rice, tea, sugar, pharmaceuticals and electrical machinery to Iran, while importing dry fruits and chemical products. Textiles and garments, gems and jewelry and engineering goods are likely to be the most vulnerable sectors, he said.

Trump’s latest move also could affect India’s investments in Iran including the strategically important Chabahar port, which gives India a trade route to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe while bypassing Pakistan, Mukhopadhyay said.

Iran’s judiciary chief signals fast trials and executions for those detained in nationwide protests.

Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comment in a video shared by Iranian state television on Wednesday.

He emphasized the need for swift action, saying delays would lessen the impact.

His remarks challenge Trump, who warned Iran about executions in an interview aired Tuesday.

Trump stated the U.S. would take strong action if Iran proceeded with executions. The situation highlights escalating tensions between the two countries over the handling of the protests.

Dozens of Pakistani students studying in Iran have returned home through a remote southwestern border crossing, a Pakistani immigration official said Wednesday.

Federal Investigation Agency spokesperson in Quetta city, Samina Raisani, said about 60 students crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday through Gabd border in Balochistan province with valid travel documents.

More students were expected to return through the same crossing later Wednesday, she said.

Mudassir Tipu, Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, said Tuesday that Iranian universities had rescheduled exams and permitted international students to leave the country.

The satellite internet provider Starlink now offers free service in to people Iran who have access to the company's receivers, activists said Wednesday.

Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who helped get the units into Iran, told The Associated Press that the free service had started. Other activists also confirmed in messages online that the service was free.

Starlink has been the only way for Iranians to communicate with the outside world since authorities shut down the internet Thursday night as nationwide protests swelled and they began a bloody crackdown against demonstrators.

Starlink did not immediately acknowledge the decision.

This frame grab from videos taken between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, 2026, and circulating on social media purportedly shows images from a morgue with dozens of bodies and mourners after crackdown on the outskirts of Iran's capital, in Kahrizak, Tehran Province. (UGC via AP)