The Atlanta Hawks blew the Orlando Magic out 127-112 in what was nothing short of an awe-inspiring performance. The Hawks’ win can be attributed to their dominance in transition and interior defense, which forced Orlando to work for every bucket. On the flip side, Atlanta’s offense hummed against an Orlando team that has struggled to start the season. They also embraced an egalitarian approach to offense, which will be critical for the squad moving forward.
The final score misrepresents how close this game was, as Orlando stormed back with a scorching 26-12 mid-fourth-quarter run that cut the lead from 25 to 11. This run was a flash in a pan relative to the rest of the game, with the Magic cashing unlikely threes from Wendell Carter Jr. and Jalen Suggs.
Still, Atlanta appeared flustered during this run by taking poor shots and committing a few uncharacteristic turnovers. The Hawks will have to clean this up to survive close games against better teams.
Zaccharie Risacher stole the show early in this matchup, scoring Atlanta’s first six points en route to 11 points in the first, and a team-high 21 on the night. His only miss in the first quarter came on an emphatic double-clutch alley-oop dunk attempt, which he rebounded and scored on the putback. Risacher has been inconsistent to start the year, but this was a welcome return to his form he ended last season on.
Dyson Daniels had a fantastic offensive night as he built on the improvements he’s shown since Young fell to injury. He tallied 18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in a dominant slashing performance. He was able to attack the space the Magic gave him on the perimeter as Orlando begged him to shoot from deep. While he cashed his only three point attempt of the night, the more encouraging development was his ability to attack the space defenders gave him on the perimeter.
Mouhamed Gueye also had a night to remember, posting a game-high three blocks in a true masterclass glue guy performance. Despite a modest 5 points and 3 rebounds, Gueye’s impact was felt as he made yet another case for why he should receive increased minutes. He seems to get his hands on every loose ball and his body between any driving defender, thanks to his spectacular combination of mobility and length.
The Hawks finished with 23 transition points, getting in transition often and seemingly never missing these chances. Winning the fast break battle is the key to success with Young out, as they can no longer afford to pass up or hand-deliver these easy opportunities. The squad has allowed 28.0 fast break points in losses and 10.5 in wins. This team is capable of beating anyone if they can replicate their egalitarian offensive approach and success in transition.