Atlanta Hawks (37-31) beat Orlando Magic (38-29) 124-112 at home on Monday, March 16, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hawks had the better start, winning the first 34-21 to lead by 13 after one. The Hawks kept the pressure on with a 33-29 second quarter, carrying a 17-point lead into halftime.
The Hawks won the third 37-33 to create some separation, taking a 21-point lead into the fourth. The Magic took the fourth 29-20; the Hawks held on for a 124-112 regulation win.
What decided it
The Hawks grabbed 31.9% of their own misses, while the Magic recovered 17%. The Hawks got more from their shots, finishing at 54.8% effective field-goal shooting compared with 49.5% for the Magic. The second chances kept adding up.
The Magic did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 10.2 against 12.5. The Hawks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 106 possessions per team, the Hawks produced 117 points per 100 possessions to 105.7 for the Magic.
The Magic's reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 44-20.
Who made the difference
Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the game's biggest individual force for ATL: 41 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast on 12-21 shooting. His Game Score of 36.1 led everyone. His team was +27 with him on the floor.
Wendell Carter Jr. led the Magic with 17 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast on 6-10 shooting, good for a 13.8 Game Score.
Dyson Daniels (15 pts, 12 reb, 3 ast), Jalen Johnson (24 pts, 15 reb, 13 ast), and Paolo Banchero (18 pts, 10 reb, 3 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 60% for the Hawks.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Atlanta Hawks lead 4-3.
The Hawks are now 37-31, and the Magic are 38-29. The Hawks last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.