Atlanta Hawks Game Preview: Feb. 25 @ Orlando Magic
After a blowout loss last night against the Miami Heat, the Atlanta Hawks look to redeem themselves tonight in Orlando.
The last time the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic played each other, the Hawks showed they’re the better team beating Orlando 113-86. The Hawks have won the last 2 out of 3 match-ups vs the Magic, and this will be their final meeting of the season. In their last game, Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 21 points to lead the Hawks in scoring. Dennis Schroder and Dwight Howard both had double-doubles.
Schroder ended the night with 17 points and 10 assists. Howard had 11 points and 13 rebounds. Aaron Gordon seemed to be the only player that felt like showing up for the Orlando Magic. He scored 16 points. No other player from Orlando scored more than 12 points.
Tonight, the Hawks have to deal with a different Orlando Magic team. Before the NBA Trade Deadline, the Toronto Raptors traded Terrence Ross and a first-round pick to the Orlando Magic for Serge Ibaka. In Ross’s debut vs the Portland Trailblazers, he only scored 13 points hitting 2 of his 8 3-pointers taken. This is definitely not an indication off Ross’s overall perimeter shooting.
He’s shoots 37.6 percent from long range for his career. The Hawks aren’t the best team at defending shots beyond the arc. So they’ll have to be careful and not let him explode for any points. Luckily for Atlanta, the Magic don’t shoot very well from long range at all.
Atlanta’s main focus should be trying to keep Bismack Biyombo out of the paint. Biyombo is a hustle player that isn’t afraid to bang with the NBA’s strongest centers. He’s a tough player that gives it his all every night.
On offense, the Hawks need to find a way to consistently score. This would be a great game for Ersan Illyasova to show the Hawks why he’s a perfect fit. He can shoot the ball from everywhere on the court, and he’s versatile. The Magic do have quite a few top tier athletes, and they’re rested. The Hawks just came off of a bad game and may be slightly fatigued tonight.
If the Hawks can gain an early lead against Orlando, they shouldn’t have any problem winning this game by at least 13-20 points. But, the Hawks have shown that they will give bad teams good chances to win a game.
Next: Grading The Ersan Ilyasova Trade
Who: Atlanta Hawks (32-25) @ Orlando Magic (21-38)
When: 7:00 PM EST, Saturday, February 25th, 2017
Where: Amway Center
How: Fox Sports Southeast
Prediction: Orlando 88 Hawks 102