Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba dunks between Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, left, forward Chris Boucher, and forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Magic Host the Hawks

The Orlando Magic are set to host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. Orlando has been struggling this season, holding an 8-20 record at No. 13 in the Eastern Conference. Recently, however, the Magic have been picking up momentum and are now sporting a three-game winning streak.

https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/1603028760252530689

Orlando Got the Magic

In the Eastern Conference, Orlando only leads the Hornets and Pistons, while the Hawks sit at No. 7 with a 14-14 record. Granted, the Hawks struggle without the home-court advantage and are 5-9 in away games.

In its last game, Orlando beat the Toronto Raptors 111-99. Franz Wagner led the scoring for the Magic with 23 points. He was three for five in threes and six for 14 in the field. Wagner was also eight for 10 from the free throw line.

Only three other players scored in the double digits for Orlando. Paolo Banchero had 20 on the night, while Cole Anthony and Mo Bamba had 14 and 18 off the bench, respectively.

Hawks Look to Rebound

The Hawks on the other hand, are coming off a loss to the No. 2 team in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies. Atlanta was simply out-scored by Memphis. Seven Grizzlies scored in the double digits, while only five Hawks put up comparable numbers.

De’Andre Hunter led the way for Atlanta with 19 points. While he made all three of his free throws, he went two for five from beyond the arc and seven for 16 from the field.

Aaron Holiday had the next-most points, with 15 off the bench but came up short with shots. He was 5-13 from the field and 1-4 from three-point range.

Jalen Johnson had 14 points and AJ Griffin and Frank Kaminsky each had 13.

If the Hawks want to bounce back against the Magic, they will need to up these numbers.

Game Details

While the Hawks sport the better record, the Magic are hot and will look to continue their streak.

https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1603027123240931331

The Magic will conclude their five-game homestead Wednesday night against the Hawks with tip off set for 7 p.m. Then on Friday, they take a trip north where they will face the No. 1 Celtics in Boston.

About Rylee McIver

Rylee is a fourth year journalism major with a specialization in sports and media at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.

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