The Lead
For just the 11th time in team history and first time this season, eight Magic players scored in double figures, including Bol Bol who had 21 points, as Orlando notched its fourth straight victory with Wednesday’s 135-124 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Amway Center to complete a five-game homestand.
Interesting Stat
The 50 points scored by the Magic in the first quarter was a franchise record for most points scored in any quarter in franchise history and it was the ninth time in NBA history a team has scored 50-plus in the first quarter. The NBA record for most points scored in the first quarter is 51, set Jan. 15, 2019 by the Golden State Warriors.
Top Performers
With the Magic shooting 50.5 percent from the field overall and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc, there were several standouts. Bol made three of his four 3-point tries and seven of his 13 shots overall. Franz Wagner led with 24 points, Paolo Banchero posted 20 points, six rebounds and six assists and Markelle Fultz also filled up the stat sheet with 16 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
Key Stats
Ever since Fultz returned to the lineup, the Magic have been playing at a much faster pace. That has led to more transition scoring opportunities. The Magic piled up 19 fast break points Wednesday, 15 more than the Hawks. Orlando never trailed and led by as many as 29 in the first half.
Interesting Note
This is the first four-game winning streak for the Magic since starting the 2020-21 season 4-0. The last time Orlando won five straight was in 2020, however that’s counting pre-and-post pandemic pause. The most recent time the Magic won at least five straight without a season pause was when they won six straight in March 2019.
Injury Report
Gary Harris (right hamstring soreness), Wendell Carter Jr. (right plantar fascia strain), Jalen Suggs (right ankle soreness), Chuma Okeke (left knee soreness), and Jonathan Isaac (left knee rehabilitation) were out for the Magic. John Collins (ankle) and Dejounte Murray (ankle) were unavailable for the Hawks.
Quote of the Day
“I love our fanbase. They are so incredible – their support, their energy, the spirit that they provide during the games. Our guys feel that too.” – Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley on the hometown fans
In the News
The Magic have assigned R.J. Hampton to their G League affiliate in Lakeland after the third-year guard requested to be sent there so that he can stay sharp and work on his game. In 21 games with Orlando this season, he’s averaging 6.5 points with limited minutes.
This Day in History
On Dec. 14, 2005, Dwight Howard recorded 23 points and 13 rebounds, Hedo Turkoglu scored 18 off the bench and Pat Garrity, also in a reserve role, had 17, as the Magic defeated the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Eddy Curry led the Knicks with 23 points, while Quentin Richardson, who played with the Magic several years later and is currently part of Orlando’s television broadcast team, posted 16 points.
Rivals Report
Shocking about the Hawks with Trae Young running the show is that they rank 29th in 3-pointers made and 28th in 3-point percentage. Young, while playing well otherwise, has really struggled from beyond the arc. Entering Wednesday’s game, he was shooting just 28.7 percent, 10 percent lower than last season. Getting Bogdan Bogdanovic back from injury recently should help in the long run, but not having great floor spacers in their starting lineup at any position is a cause for concern.
Up Next
The Magic will head out on the road for a three-city, four-game trip, starting on Friday in Boston against the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics at 7:30 p.m. This will be the first game for Boston since returning from their quite unusual six-game road trip that started in Brooklyn on Dec. 4 and ended in Los Angeles on Dec. 13. They went 4-2 on the trip, defeating the Nets, Raptors, Suns and Lakers and losing to the Warriors and Clippers. The Celtics will host the Magic again on Sunday on 3 p.m. They last played in Orlando’s home opener on Oct. 22. Jayson Tatum erupted for 40 points to lead the C’s to the victory, while Terrence Ross scored 29 points and Banchero had 23 for the Magic.