The Orlando Magic traveled to Atlanta on Saturday, Oct. 26 to face the Atlanta Hawks in the home opener at the State Farm Arena.
Both teams entered the game, as Orlando won at home against Cleveland and Atlanta won on the road against Detroit.
Hawks point guard Trae Young led the team in points scored, and put up 10 in the first quarter, including two three-point shots. The Magic kept up with the Hawks offensively, putting up 26 points, led by Nikola Vucevic’s six points, giving the Magic the three-point lead going into the second quarter.
Young continued to put points on the board and was also a key player in assists –– connecting with Damian Jones twice –– and scored seven points in the second quarter; shooting 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, and three field goals. Rookie Cam Reddish scored his first points in the NBA on Saturday and contributed six points overall in the team’s home opener.
Vucevic put another four points on the board to bring his total first-half points to 10 scored, which teammates Evan Fournier and Markelle Fultz also recorded 10 points for Orlando in the first half. Fournier sunk three baskets in the second quarter, while Fultz threw in a three-point shot.
The Hawks took the momentum of having the lead 52-50 going into the locker room at halftime. Atlanta would need to keep the momentum, making shots, and reduce their fouls in the second half, while Orlando needed to rebound the ball more often, and connect on more field goals, as both in the first and second half free throws definitely were beneficial to Orlando keeping up with Atlanta.
HALFTIME LEADERS:
VUCEVIC – 10 PTS 🔹4 REBS
FULTZ – 10 PTS 🔹2 REBS🔹2 ASTS
FOURNIER – 10 PTS🔹2 ASTS
ISAAC – 8 PTS🔹3 BLKS
GORDON – 4 PTS 🔹5 REBS🔹3 ASTS📺: @FOXSportsFL pic.twitter.com/6cNWpSJ2XY
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) October 27, 2019
Reddish put the first points on the board to open up the second half of play, and as mentioned above, Orlando didn’t make any baskets until Fournier made both of his free throw shots, then Vucevic put up another pair with free throw shots. With just over seven minutes left in the third quarter, Aaron Gordon hit the first field goal for the Magic, and also made two free throws as well. Young put the ball in the basket for four more field goals and a 26-foot three-point shot.
The third quarter ended when Michael Carter-Williams threw the ball 27 feet and connected with the basket for the three-point shot. The Hawks led the Magic 77-75 keeping their two-point lead going into the last quarter of the game.
Strong finish by the rook! 💪 pic.twitter.com/7s1kzULfd7
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 27, 2019
John Collins put the Hawks first points of the fourth quarter on the board when he made an alley-oop dunk shot. De’Andre Hunter was called on a shooting foul giving Terrence Ross three opportunities for free throws, which he connected on all three, and closed the lead to only one point.
D.J. Augustin took the lead from Atlanta when he scored on a layup, then Reddish threw his third field goal of the night. Augustin did most of the scoring in the last quarter for the Magic, connecting on three field goals.
With less than two minutes on the clock the two teams were tied at 97 points each and Young scored the remaining five points of seven points put on the board, only allowing Orlando to score one time. Young hit a layup, a thrilling 27-foot three-point shot, and a field goal to give the Atlanta Hawks the 103-99 victory at home, and their second victory of the season. Young was a deciding factor in this matchup, scoring 39 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, and the youthful Atlanta team has the talent to win games, but they need to reign in the fouls and step up their defense at the end matches to ensure victories in the future. The way they all play together and flow well as a team proves to be another benefit in the team’s early success.
Next, the Hawks are facing the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, and the Magic will face the reigning champion Toronto Raptors.
Final in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/IucepzJPbp
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) October 27, 2019
