The Orlando Magic lost 132-125 to the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday in the Kia Center. Despite Paolo Banchero scoring a game-high 35 points and 10 assists with only two missed shots, Orlando could not get it done in head coach Sean Sweeney’s debut.
“I’m not big on moral victories, but we definitely did a lot of good things tonight,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said. “We shared the heck out of the ball. Even when guys weren’t necessarily making the shots, the process was there. I think anybody who was watching the game could see that.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks in scoring with 31 points, including 22 in the second half. Alexander-Walker hit back-to-back threes in the final two minutes to seal the game for Atlanta.
“[Alexander-Walker] got to the free-throw line so many times, he had 13 free throws, and that was an issue for us with him,” Sweeney said. “He’s a great player in a lot of ways. He’s obviously made the jump last year and looks like he’s continued along that path.”
Game flow
Orlando started the season off strong, as every starter scored in the first four minutes. Both Banchero and Franz Wagner ended the quarter shooting perfect from the field, combining for 15 points.
However, at the end of the quarter, the Magic turned the ball over on three-straight possession, kicking off a 12-0 run the Hawks carried into the second quarter. Wagner committed two of the turnovers and got his third foul one minute into the second, sidelining him for the rest of the half.
Atlanta outscored Orlando 44-29 in the quarter, including 13 from Dyson Daniels. Banchero still led the quarter with 14 points, ending with 22 in the half.
“[Banchero was] decisive,” Carter Jr. said. “When it’s one move or no move or it’s just straight downhill, not many guys in this league can guard him… Paolo is one-of-none in my opinion.”
Coming out of the break, Wagner forced a turnover and made a layup, kicking off a strong quarter for the forward. Wagner assisted or scored on nine of Orlando’s first 10 points in the half.
“I think [coming out of half] is one of the areas where we did a good job of sticking together and really putting our minds to what we need to do,” Sweeney said. “Anytime you see guys respond to something, that’s great, and now we just need to do better.”
Desmond Bane and CJ McCollum dueled midway through the third, as each exchanged back-to-back threes. Halfway through, the Magic were trailing by 10, the same deficit they started the quarter with.
Then, Carter Jr. helped spark a 21-8 run to end the quarter. Goga Bitadze helped the Magic tie the Hawks on a wild play that ended in an and-one, and Banchero’s layup gave Orlando its first lead of the half.
“[We were] just getting stops,” Banchero said. “Ball was moving on offense, but it just really started with the stops.”
Entering the fourth, the Magic had a one-point lead. In the first seven minutes of the quarter, the lead changed hands 11 times, with the Hawks taking a 118-117 lead with five minutes to go. Jalen Suggs checked into the game and Atlanta went on a 17-8 run to end the game.
In the fourth, Orlando shot 1/12 from three while allowing Atlanta to go 4/10 from deep. In the final five minutes, the Magic shot 2/11 from the field.
After the buzzer, Banchero and Jalen Johnson got into an altercation at mid-court. Last season, the Magic and Hawks had multiple fights and ejections in their rivalry.
“[Johnson] wanted to wait until the clock hit zero to say something to me, so I just wanted to hear what he had to say,” Banchero said.
Next up
The Magic host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday before embarking on a three-game road trip. The Timberwolves are coming off a blowout win over the Miami Heat where Anthony Edwards had 45 points.
“I think the team did a good job preparing in a lot of ways,” Sweeney said. “Now, we’ve got to do a better job of executing what matters [on Friday].”
Tip-off against the Timberwolves is set for 7 p.m. on October 23.