Instant Takeaways From The Hawks Big Win Against The Magic

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The Atlanta Hawks began national television play tonight, as they took on the rival Orlando Magic for the second time this season on NBC. The Hawks now lead the season series 2-0 after tonight's win and will be on a two-game home stand following this victory.
Home cookin' pic.twitter.com/APEYb4pmwR
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 5, 2025
1. Fast break opportunities
Zacch almost had the reverse alley-oop 😯 but still got the board and put back pic.twitter.com/S6qFdGUt6d
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 5, 2025
For Atlanta, one of the primary keys to victory against the rival Magic was getting out on the fast break and creating easy scoring opportunities. With Orlando's play style, usually, if you play at a slower pace, they will likely take advantage of that and be very physical with teams and draw fouls of their own, but tonight, the Hawks took it upon themselves to push the tempo. Atlanta finished shooting 50% from the floor and 43% from three-point range to go along with 23 fast-break points. The Hawks shot 42 free throws and had six players score in double figures as a result of the Magic's poor defense.
2. Zaccharie Risacher
Zacch's 16 points in the first half sent him to 1,000 in his career!
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 5, 2025
Congrats kid 👏 pic.twitter.com/X57RZdH1aE
One of many bright spots for the Hawks tonight was Risacher due to his ability to create open looks for himself. Whether it's cutting to the basket, shooting from three-point range, or getting to the free-throw line, Risacher was able to create easy scoring opportunities as he finished the first half with 16 points and 1,000 career points. Overall, Risacher would finish with an efficient performance, scoring 21 points, grabbing four rebounds, and one steal on 54% shooting from the field, 50% from three-point range, and 80% from the free-throw line.
3. Defensive prowess
Mo SMACKED this shot outta there 🛑 pic.twitter.com/T3UM1Jd4A4
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 5, 2025
Got a nice lil 13-0 run going 😁
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 5, 2025
In this game, the Hawks played consistent, nagging defense and forced the Magic into harsh scoring droughts, which led to the blowout victory for Atlanta. The Hawks were able to force Orlando into 19 turnovers, and as a result, scored 21 points off the Magic's turnovers, leading wire-to-wire and gaining a lead as large as 25 points. The Hawks had 11 steals and six blocks as a team.
4. Dyson Daniels
Dyson Daniels has been excellent tonight.
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) November 5, 2025
In addition to his usual defense, he has 13 points (on 7 shots), 6 assists, and 1 turnover.
Tonight, Daniels had another dominant performance and has started to find his footing after a slow start to the season. Daniels finished the game scoring 18 points for the third straight game, grabbed six rebounds, dished out six assists, and had two steals on high efficiency as he shot 88% from the floor.
5. Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is underrated. pic.twitter.com/i36myECkAi
— Real Sports (@realapp) November 5, 2025
Alexander-Walker had another solid performance for the Hawks tonight, scoring an efficient 20 points and playing good defense, which showcases why he is one of the more reliable pieces for this Hawks team. Since Young has been out, Alexander-Walker has stepped into the starting point guard spot and has helped the Hawks in other games when they have been undermanned due to injury, as he is starting to look more comfortable with the team, especially his backcourt mate, Daniels, with whom he forms a defensive tandem.
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Kahlil McCuller started covering Virginia Tech Athletics for Virginia Tech On SI in July 2024 and the Atlanta Hawks For Atlanta Hawks On SI since April 2025. Kahlil is also the co-host of the Burg Bros Sports Podcast and has extensive experience in the sports industry with a high knowledge of both professional and collegiate sports. His work concentrates on comprehensive and insightful analysis, making him a highly reliable source in the sports media industry.
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