Orlando Magic Grades: Orlando Magic 135, Atlanta Hawks 126
The Orlando Magic finally found their shooting touch, hitting 18 3-pointers to defeat the Atlanta Hawks and get a much-needed win.
38. Final. 126. 125. 135
The Orlando Magic were doing all they could to contain Trae Young. Even with him largely under control from beyond the arc, the big rush was always on the horizon. When he pulled up from the “L” in “ORL,” it felt like he was finally about to go off.
This was the onslaught the Magic had feared and guarded against. Despite some rushes to take the lead, the Orlando Magic could never really hide from the Atlanta Hawks again. In fact, the Hawks expanded their lead out on several occasions too.
Orlando had to fight its own defense and find its shot.
The Magic found their shot. At least for one night.
They moved the ball quickly around the perimeter and drained 3-pointers — a season-high 18 of them — and they got the stops when they needed for a 135-126 win at Amway Center on Monday.
It was a momentary relief for the team. A moment where the offense seemed to click and determination to win matched the level of execution. Even if the Magic’s defense was a bit lax.
Orlando got the stops when it needed and it scratched out possessions when the team did not hit from the outside.
Some strong defensive plays from newcomer James Ennis helped spark the team. He had a steal and a runout that helped give the Magic some cushion. Just as big was a backtap he had to keep a possession alive that set up another 3-pointer.
Orlando had 14 offensive rebounds for 22 second-chance points. That proved to be a huge advantage for Orlando throughout the game. That little bit of effort mattered in a game that turned into a shootout.
The Magic still have plenty to work on. Their defensive struggles were prominent throughout the game. They were focused wholly on slowing down Young and got caught fouling him on several occasions. That focus had them scrambling to get to the 3-point line.
The Hawks just could not hit enough of them. The Magic finally outshot a team. And it was good to see the confidence flowing again.
As much as the 3-point shooting, Orlando can be very happy with how the team closed the game. The Magic made the plays down the stretch to close the game. They had to close a deficit and fight through some adversity — a lot of it self-inflicted. they made the shots to win the game and win it running away.
The hope is that this will build confidence.
When <a href=. C. Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC. B+
B+. <a href=. F. Orlando Magic. AARON GORDON
It was really clear early on that <a href=. PG. Orlando Magic. MARKELLE FULTZ. A-
A-. Coach <a href=. G/F. Orlando Magic. JAMES ENNIS
The Atlanta Hawks very clearly looked like they were on the back-end of a back-to-back and a double-overtime game to boot. They had a lot of heavy legs even though they shot 16 for 37. That showed up mostly on defense where the Orlando Magic paraded into the lane for 60 points in the paint. And certainly at the end of the game when the Hawks could not track shooters or gather a rebound.<p>Atlanta showed plenty of fight. And the Hawks have an undeniable star in Trae Young. He gives the defense so many problems and they have to account for him. Atlanta did a good job taking advantage of that getting into the lane itself and setting up others for jumpers. Sometimes settling a bit too much.</p><p>The Hawks made mistakes down the stretch and it was ultimately their defense that did them in. That has been Atlanta’s biggest problem all year. The Hawks can get outscored. They got outscored in this one.</p>. 15-40. 14th East. ATLANTA HAWKS. B
The Orlando Magic are now 23-31 and eighth in the Eastern Conference. They trail the Brooklyn Nets by two games for seventh and have a 3.5-game lead over the Washington Wizards for the final spot in the playoffs.
Next. Orlando Magic need to get their swagger back. dark
The Orlando Magic are back in action Wednesday at the Amway Center against the Detroit Pistons.