The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic will face off for the fourth and final time in the 2024-25 regular season. Orlando has taken two of the previous three matchups, but the teams that take the floor on Sunday could look very different from the previous matchups.
That is because there is virtually nothing for either team to play for aside from continuity.
The Hawks secured the No. 8 seed on Friday, with the win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Magic got a win over the Indiana Pacers.
With that, the Hawks were locked in to No. 8 without a chance to overtake the Magic for the No. 7 seed, which Atlanta held until recently. The Hawks also held off a late surge from the Chicago Bulls, who notched a victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday. Reserves could play a lot on Sunday.
Neither team may want to risk an injury to their starters with greater stakes ahead.
The Hawks have struggled with the Magic’s size, largely due to the injuries that they have endured this season.
However, the Hawks have recently found a combination that works, pairing starting center Onyeka Okongwu, whose greatest strength comes on the offensive side of the floor and the glass, with fellow big man Mouhamed Gueye.
Gueye is a stronger defender and another strong presence on the boards.
The Hawks head into the final matchup of the season, having won two straight, and they could head into the Play-In matchup against the Magic as winners of three in a row.
However, they will also have beaten two teams that were mere shells of their fully-healthy selves in the Sixers and Brooklyn Nets and could face a third in the Magic in the regular season finale. The Magic have won the last two meetings.
By securing the 8-seed, the Hawks have given themselves one of the easier paths.
They will only need to win one game to advance from the Play-In to the playoffs, though they will need to go on the road.
Hawks could be sneaky postseason team
The Hawks have been better against the East than their overall record would suggest this season, standing at 29-22 following their win over the Sixers. However, those losses to the Magic and other dropped games in the second half of the season loom large
This team is young and light on playoff experience in the starting lineup. Outside of Trae Young, Okongwu is the only other Hawks starter with significant postseason experience.
Fortunately for the Hawks, they have a veteran-laden bench helmed by Caris LeVert.
LeVert had 31 points on Friday. Meanwhile, Georges Niang chipped in 16 points, and there remains an outside chance that the Hawks will get veteran big man Larry Nance Jr. back from a knee injury in the postseason.
The Hawks can end the regular season three games above ESPN’s projected win total for them coming into the campaign.
Despite a fourth straight Play-In appearance, the Hawks also have another shot at the playoffs.
For a team that made a major pivot before the season and then another during the season, and that has an encouraging future with young star Zaccharie Risacher and the injured Jalen Johnson, who should return to full health next season, the Hawks can come away from 2024-25 feeling encouraged with more games yet to play and prove themselves.