Magic's Late Surge Falls Short Against Hawks at State Farm Arena
In a closely contested battle at the State Farm Arena, the Orlando Magic's record shifted to 22-19 after a narrow defeat to the Atlanta Hawks, who improved their season to 17-23. The final score read 106-104 in favor of the home team.
The Orlando Magic entered the game with momentum but found themselves trailing by a small margin as they fought valiantly against the Hawks. Despite being outscored in three of four quarters, they managed to keep pace with their opponents throughout the contest. The Magic showcased their defensive capabilities with an impressive eight blocks and an even more remarkable 16 steals, disrupting Atlanta's flow and creating opportunities for counterattacks.
Offensively, Orlando was led by a balanced attack that saw contributions from both starters and bench players. The bench provided a significant boost with 43 points, demonstrating depth and versatility. In terms of shooting efficiency, Orlando made good use of their possessions inside the paint where they scored 52 points at an outstanding 70 percent conversion rate from close range attempts.
The Magic also capitalized on second-chance opportunities by scoring 25 points following offensive rebounds. Their tenacity on both ends was evident as they grabbed a total of 44 rebounds – including an impactful presence on offensive glass with 16 boards leading to those crucial second-chance points.
However, despite these efforts and leading for over half an hour during game time, it wasn't enough to secure victory. The Hawks managed to edge out in key statistical areas such as overall field goal percentage (51 percent) and free throw accuracy (91 percent), which proved decisive down the stretch.
The next opportunity for redemption for Orlando comes swiftly as they return home to host Philadelphia 76ers at Kia Center in Florida on January 19th at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Fans can catch all the action live on BSFL channel number six hundred fifty-four or tune into NBCS-PH if following from away territories.