Hawks vs Magic: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineup for Tonight's Matchup

The Atlanta Hawks haven't been entirely uncompetitive without Trae Young in the lineup, but they've struggled to establish leads and take control of games. That was on full display against a Cavs team that established a 14-point lead over the Hawks early. Atlanta had an uncharacteristically poor night of limiting turnovers and had no answer for Donovan Mitchell, who scored 37 points on 12-21 shooting from the field. Fortunately, they have a good opportunity to re-group tonight against a Magic team that they've already beaten once before.

Orlando's been one of the more disappointing teams in the NBA to start the season. They made a massive move to get Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies this summer, but the early returns haven't been great. Bane himself is shooting a career-low 25.8% from deep on the fewest attempts per game in his career, which is disappointing considering his long track record as a floor spacer. It isn't just on him - Orlando's ancillary players have been largely disappointing and the offense is heavily reliant on two poor jump shooters in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Two back-to-back blowouts of the Hornets and Wizards haven't done much to dispel the notion that the Magic won't reach their lofty goals of contending for the Eastern Conference crown this summer. That being said, Orlando has historically been a problem for the Hawks due to the size of Banchero and Wagner, as well as their consistent defense. The Hawks can't afford to dismiss anyone on their schedule right now as they tread water in the conference until Young returns.

By the Numbers

Dyson Daniels, Daniels, Hawks, Atlanta Hawk — Oct 24, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) defends Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Unsurprisingly, Atlanta's offense is a lot worse when Young is not running the show. They're 22nd in points, 15th in FG%, 21st on 3P%, 22nd in FT%, 14th in rebounds (20th in OREB), 5th in assists and 5th in turnovers per game. Atlanta has consistently struggled to shoot the ball without Young and yesterday was no different - they only hit six threes on the night to Cleveland's 20.

The Hawks' defense started the season off poorly, but it seems to have settled right around the lower third of the NBA with some potential to get better once everyone gets more games under their belt. On a per-game basis, Atlanta ranks 19th in points allowed, 10th in FG% allowed, 3rd in 3P% allowed, 28th in rebounds allowed, 13th in steals and 13th in blocks.

Orlando's offense does not look hopeless, but they were certainly hoping for a better start. They're 15th in points, 12th in FG%, 20th on 3P%, 25th in FT%, 10th in rebounds (12th in OREB), 26th in assists and 23rd in turnovers per game.

Once consistently a top defense, the Magic have been a lot more pedestrian on that end. Orlando is 13th in points allowed, 20th in FG% allowed, 20th in 3P% allowed, 12th in rebounds allowed, 18th in steals and 4th in blocks. This is in spite of having great defenders like Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac.

Three Reasons Atlanta Can Win This Game

Jalen Johnson, Johnson, Atlanta Hawks, Hawks, NB — Oct 24, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) goes to the basket in front of Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

In the absence of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson has taken the mantle of top option and ran with it. He's averaging 23.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists on 60% shooting from the field in his past four games. He's coming off a 23 point, 13 rebound double-double where he also dished out five assists against Cleveland. Johnson's three-point shooting hasn't started to fall yet - he is only shooting 15.4% from deep on 2.2 attempts a game. However, that just speaks to how much better he can be. The Orlando Magic have two great forwards who are a size mismatch in most games, but Johnson is more than capable of holding his own against them.

Atlanta's consistently done a good job of limiting turnovers and that swung in the other direction against Cleveland. They finished the game with 23 turnovers and 33 points given up off turnovers. Even in the first three drives of the game, they coughed it up twice against a Cavs defense that is down Jarrett Allen and Max Strus. It'd be surprising to see that happen in back-to-back games, especially given that Orlando isn't particularly good at forcing steals.

During the last matchup against Orlando, the Hawks didn't have Kristaps Porzingis. That shouldn't be the case tonight. Porzingis is averaging 18 points, seven rebounds and a career-high 3.4 assists per game while shooting 37% on five attempts a game from deep. He's been about what the Hawks expected in the games he's played and gives them a different dynamic, especially against a center who isn't particularly impressive on either end of the floor in Wendell Carter Jr.

Three Reasons Atlanta Might Lose This Game

Zaccharie Risacher, Risacher, Atlanta Hawks, Hawk — Apr 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (1) handles the ball guarded by Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Last time Atlanta faced this team, they had Trae Young scoring six points in the last 46 seconds and Paolo Banchero missing all of his three-pointers in arguably his worst game of the year. They won't have Young for this matchup and Banchero has been playing much better basketball than his disasterclass in Atlanta. In his last five games, he's averaging 25.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game on 50/33.3/75% shooting splits. The efficiency could be better, but there's no question that the possibility of an off night seems significantly less likely.

The Hawks have started slow for almost all the games they've played this season and Orlando's athletic enough to get out to an early lead. Franz Wagner has consistently found success against the Hawks in his career and he thrived in the first matchup between these two teams, scoring 27 points and notching six rebounds. The offense has also looked better when Wagner initiates it and it's fair to wonder if Wagner might be able to lead Orlando to an early lead that they ride for the rest of the game.

While there's a lot to criticize about Orlando's offense, they are currently tied for sixth in pace, which is a major improvement from ranking last in the same metric during last season. They’re also sixth in fast break points and seventh in field goal percentage in transition. That's a really bad matchup for an Atlanta team that consistently struggles to defend in transition.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young is out.

Orlando Magic: Mo Wagner is out.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be underdogs at home tonight as the Magic are currently 3.5 point favorites according to the latest odds from the Fanduel Sportsbook, and the over/under is set at 228.5.