Magic Outgun Hawks in Offensive Duel
On the second night of a back-to-back with the All-Star break fast approaching, the Hawks had every reason to fold in Orlando on Monday night. Instead, they followed up a grueling contest on Sunday with another strong effort on the road, and while it didn’t have the legs to weather a second-half barrage from the Magic, Atlanta played well enough to win in what became a 135-126 loss.
Orlando finished the game with a 137.8 offensive rating (compared to Atlanta’s 129.9) and used a scorching second half -- including a 42-30 fourth quarter -- to push past the Hawks in an offensively charged game. Both teams had more than enough verve on offense, scoring efficiently and taking care of the ball, but the Magic got just enough stops at the start and close of the game to create an edge. Orlando shot 18-of-38 from beyond the arc and grabbed nearly 40 percent of available offensive rebounds, which tilted an otherwise level game toward the Magic.
Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vučević led the offensive charge with 26 and 24 points, respectively, while Evan Fournier and Terrence combined for 43 points and eight made 3-pointers. Vucevic added nine rebounds and nine assists, and Markelle Fultz helped juice the offense with eight assists without a turnover.
Atlanta started the game as one might expect given what it took to slide past the Knicks. While they played with energy out of the gate, the starters struggled to make shots and fell into an early hole. It wasn’t until the second unit took the floor that Atlanta’s offense found its stride, and the Hawks outscored the Magic significantly with their bench-heavy units on the floor. Dewayne Dedmon provided another noticeable lift off the bench with 14 points and nine rebounds. Jeff Teague and Brandon Goodwin were instrumental in keeping the Hawks in the game in the first half. Teague hit a pair of important shots to close the first quarter, and Goodwin gave his team another dose of energy off the bench. Cam Reddish found his footing after a four-game absence with 11 points, a pair of 3-pointers, and characteristically sound defense on the perimeter.
After playing 48 minutes on Sunday evening, Trae Young was sharp again on Monday. The guard had 29 points and nine assists, and while his first 3-pointer didn’t come until midway through the third quarter, he once again willed his way to 13 free-throw attempts by attacking downhill and baiting defenders into cheap fouls behind the arc. Young turned the ball over just twice in each half -- a tidy mark for a player who handles the ball as often as he does. His pick-and-roll partner, John Collins played another clean offensive game as a passer and scorer, but didn’t have the all-around impact he brought to his last five games.
The Hawks bumped their offensive efficiency from 1.08 points per possession to 1.25 during the second quarter (the Magic improved from 0.88 to 1.14) and closed the quarter with a 25-15 run. But the Magic simply brought too much firepower to the second half, and Atlanta appeared to lose steam over the final few minutes of the fourth quarter. In addition to their uncontainable 3-point shooting, the Magic took 43 percent of their shots at the rim and converted 73 percent of them -- marks the Hawks couldn’t overcome.
Atlanta moves to 15-40 with the loss and will look to enter the All Star break with a win in Cleveland on Wednesday.
