Atlanta Hawks: Hawks vs. Magic Pre Game Report
In what has become an annual tradition in the city where Dr. Martin Luther King was born, the Atlanta Hawks will play host to the Orlando Magic this afternoon as the city celebrates the life of Dr. King and his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
Saturday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets was just what the Dr. (no pun intended) ordered for the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks took care of the Nets in convincing fashion, using a second half surge along with key contributions from their bench, to put the game away and leave no doubt to what franchise won the trade that sent Joe Johnson to the Nets a few years back. Johnson, who has been a topic of much conversation lately with regards to a potential buyout, scored 14 points on 5-9 shooting but it didn’t matter as the Hawks were firing on all cylinders and there was very little the Nets could do to stop it. Dennis Schroder has his best all around game of the season coming off the bench scoring 15 points to go along with 10 assists and 6 rebounds in the win.
The Magic are a team looking to right the ship as they are 3-7 in their last 10 games with two of those three wins against the same lowly Nets’ squad that the Hawks made short work of on Saturday. The Magic started the season looking like a team destined to make the playoffs but have since faltered as they are dealing with a number of different injuries to key players, one of which (Eldfrid Payton) they will get back today. His return is much needed and couldn’t have come at a better time as Victor Oladipo will be out of the lineup on Monday. Had Payton not been able to play, the Magic would have been hurting to find able bodies at the PG position.
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The last time these two teams met was back in mid-December when the Hawks traveled to the Sunshine State and took down the Magic 103-100. Nikola Vucevic scored a game high 20 points to go along with 11 rebounds in the contest but the Hawks used their balanced attack with six players scoring 13 or more points on the day including 15 points in only 17 minutes from super sub Mike Scott. Scott has proved to be instant offense off the Hawk bench and has played well enough to earn consistent minutes moving forward, something that he struggled to earn during the first month of the season. The Hawks were able to keep versatile forward, Tobias Harris, in check that night and it will be something that Coach Bud will try to do again as he is a key cog in Magic rotation, especially with Oladipo out.
Key to the Game:
Teague-Time: To say that Jeff Teague has had a rough season would be an understatement. After having a career year a season ago, Teague just hasn’t been his old self. He’s shooting just below 42% from the field this season which would be his worst mark since his rookie season, before he became a full-time starter. His assists are down, his steals are down and his turnovers are up. He hasn’t necessarily played bad, just not what everyone expected coming off such a great season. I believe that will all change today as Teague has to be licking his chops as the opportunity to go against a depleted guard rotation for Orlando. We will see a new and revived Jeff Teague today and he will be the difference in the game.
Projected Starting Lineups
Atlanta Hawks
- PG: Jeff Teague
- SG: Kyle Korver
- SF: Kent Bazemore
- PF: Paul Millsap
- C: Al Horford
Notes: No injuries to report for the Hawks
Orlando Magic
- PG: Elfrid Payton
- SG: Evan Fournier
- SF: Tobias Harris
- PF: Channing Frye
- C: Nikola Vucevic
Notes: Victor Oladipo (knee) has been ruled out for Monday’s game
Other News & Notes:
- Paul Millsap scored his 10,000th career point in Saturday’s contest against the Nets
- Tim Hardaway Jr. played a season high in minutes (23) against the Nets
- After today’s game, the Hawks won’t return home until January 27th against The Clippers
- Today’s game will be broadcast on Fox Sports South (TV) and 92.9 The Game (Radio)
Next: Atlanta Hawks: Mid-Season Awards
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