The Orlando Magic returned to the Amway Center after a brutal five-game west coast road trip. The Magic went winless over those five games and dropped to 5-23 on the season. Needing a win in front of the home crowd, Orlando welcomed Atlanta to their home venue in a Southeast Division showdown in hopes of ending their losing streak. Before the tip, it was announced that Mo Bamba (ankle) and Gary Harris (hamstring) would miss the game due to injuries.
Recap
The first half of action was not particularly close between the division rivals. The Hawks took a comfortable 64-50 lead into the break and continued to splash in points in the third quarter. Despite a fourth-quarter comeback attempt, Orlando fell to Atlanta, 111-99. The Magic now sit at an East-worst 15.5 games behind the Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets.
On a night where starters could not buy a bucket, the Magic received ample support from two key reserves. Mo Wagner and Terrence Ross provided a large portion of the offense in their 18 and 32 minutes off the bench, respectively. Wagner led the team in scoring with 19 points; Ross dominated the box score with 18 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Despite incredible free throw shooting (19/21 as a team), Orlando shot 35/90 (38.9%) from the field and 10/35 (28.6%) from three.
Speaking of impeccable free throw shooting, the Hawks finished the night a perfect 16/16 from the line. Led by Trae Young’s 28 points in 30 minutes, Atlanta featured a balanced offensive attack that saw eight players score seven or more points. John Collins double-doubled with 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Clint Capela locked down the paint with 11 boards and two blocked shots. The Hawks shot nearly 50% from the field and generated an impressive 11 steals on the evening to push the Magic’s losing streak to six games.
Up Next
Orlando remains home for one more game against another Southeast Division rival. On Friday, December 17, the in-state rival Miami Heat come to battle for Florida bragging rights. It would only be fitting that the Magic snap their losing streak to their biggest rival.
Atlanta starts a three-game home stand on Friday, December 17, as well. Home games against Denver and Cleveland start the trio of games. In the third, the Magic will be looking for their revenge on Atlanta’s home court on Wednesday, December 22.
(Featured image by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)