The Orlando Magic took care of business against the Atlanta Hawks, winning 120-95 in the Kia Center Tuesday night. The bench duo of Cole Anthony and Anthony Black scored 26 and 16 respectively, while Trae Young scored a game-high 28 points. The Magic are now 1-0 in Play-In games, and are set to face the No. 2 seeded Boston Celtics starting on Sunday.
“It’s gonna be a heck of a series man,” Anthony said. “I actually went to the championship game in Boston last year. I got to really see how that environment was firsthand and that is probably the craziest environment of a game I’ve seen.”
The bench for Orlando was the story, as they outscored the Hawks second-unit 57-30. Jonathan Isaac added six points with eight rebounds, two steals, and a block. Black finished with a +38 plus-minus, while Anthony had a +32.
“That was a big-time team effort by committee,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “These guys all stepped up, played their role, did what was asked, followed the game plan.”
Quarter-By-Quarter Flow
First Quarter
The Magic came off to a blazing start to begin the game, as they opened up a 15 point lead by the end of the quarter. This was off the backs of Paolo Banchero and Anthony, who each scored seven points in the first. Banchero did all of his damage from the free throw line, and added four rebounds and five assists in the frame.
Atlanta was unable to get much going offensively. Young was kept to zero points in his 11 minutes of action, shooting 0/5 during the quarter. The lone bright spot for the Hawks was Mouhamed Gueye, who was guarding Banchero the entire game. Gueye managed two offensive boards in the first, scoring four points as well.
Second Quarter
Orlando picked up right where they left off entering the second quarter. After missing time with a toe injury last month, Anthony seemed to be on a mission the entire game. Anthony scored on a tough midrange jumper, and then promptly assisted on back-to-back baskets.
“It was a big game, and I was just happy to make the rotation,” Anthony said. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t if [Jamahl Mosley] was gonna be rocking with me tonight. This was a just an awesome game to be a part of. I was just happy to be out there and, you know, do something that felt like I was contributing to the team. And so great win, but, you know, this was a a full team effort. Dell, AB, P, Franz, JI. I mean, everyone who who stepped on the court contributed, so that’s just a it’s a great team effort.”
The downside of having Anthony start the second quarter was quickly apparent, as Young scored six points in three minutes. He was also able to connect from three for the first time in the contest in the second, and he ended with 10 points in the quarter.
The quarter was also defined by the great play of Wendell Carter Jr, who has had a tumultuous season. Carter Jr. showed resilience, scoring nine in the quarter while suffering a twisted ankle in the game. He was a perfect 4/4 from the field, including a three-ball.
“Wendell was the biggest key to tonight’s game,” Mosley said. “He started the game that way. His physicality, his presence, his rebounding, his toughness set the tone from the beginning of the game. I think that is what we are going to continue to need out of him.”
The Magic were up 22 points in the second quarter with only three minutes to play. Atlanta took notice and went on a 12-4 scoring run to end the half. Georges Niang led the charge with four points, and their late heroics let the Hawks get the lead down to 14 heading into halftime.
Third Quarter
Coming out of halftime, Atlanta seemed rejuvenated. Young was able to draw four fouls in the first three, putting the Hawks in the bonus early. Young had 12 points in the first eight minutes of the quarter. His elevated play combined with a Magic scoring streak had Atlanta back in the fight, trailing by only three points.
With 2:30 left on the clock, Anthony re-entered the game. He instantly hit two baskets and played good defense, a rarity from him. Following a Wagner shot, the Magic built the lead back to nine. However, a wild final possession by the Hawks ended in a Niang buzzer-beater to cut the lead to six.
“We’ve been there before,” Mosley said. “We’ve been in these situations in the close games at home. Our ability to get the stops and get the runs at the right time was was very big for us. You saw the group come together on the court when they went on the run. I think we had 6-1 fouls in that third quarter, but our ability to not let that rattle us and then dig in on the defensive end and get out and get some easy baskets created the momentum.”
Fourth Quarter
Carter Jr. started the quarter off with a tough midrange shot, and immediately collecting a block on the other end. Anthony connected from deep and gave Orlando their double-digit lead back. Gary Harris stole the ball from Niang, gave it up to Anthony, who dished the ball to Carter Jr. for the easy finish.
A storyline throughout the game was Young complaining about officiating. He was able to get the calls he wanted starting in the second half, yet this was not enough for the guard. He rose up for a shot over Black, and after missing, got a very late whistle. The Orlando crowd started a “Refs you suck” chant following the late call.
The chippiness between Black and Young continued. Following a defensive stop and a fall by Young, he grabbed Black and attempted to throw him to the ground. This did not stop Black, who assisted Anthony on a three. Back-to-back and-ones by Banchero and Carter Jr. forced Atlanta to take a timeout down 14.
Caris LeVert converted the third straight three point play in the game, but it was all downhill for the Hawks. Black hit a wide open three pointer, which was followed up by another three a few possessions later. Atlanta took another timeout, now down by 19.
Anthony connected from deep out of the stoppage, marking his fourth of the contest. Young scored a quick layup, and aggressively threw the ball to the referee. He was given a technical foul for this action, and kicked the ball away from a second ref. This resulted in a second technical and an ejection of Young. Young got his money’s worth, as he crossed over the third ref and walked into the bench with the ball.
Following Young’s childish actions, Atlanta emptied their bench and conceded defeat.
Next up
The Magic secured their second-straight postseason birth with their win. They are matched up against the reigning-champion Boston Celtics, the Eastern Conference #2 seed. Orlando beat Boston twice in the regular season, and look to shock the world in the first round.
“I’ve known Jayson (Tatum) since I was going into college,” Banchero said. “Now we’re competing and I think the best way for me to show my respect is to give him my best effort and go at him as much as I can.”
Tip-off for Game 1 is TBD on Sunday, April 20.