Hawks 126, Magic 125: Orlando’s winning streak snapped after late rally falls short

The Orlando Magic’s six-game winning streak was snapped Monday night, losing 126-125 to the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta saw the returns of both Dejounte Murray and John Collins in this game, and won the season series 3-1 against Orlando this season.

The Magic, likely reeling off Sunday’s win against the Celtics, jumped out to two separate four-point leads before the first stoppage of play with 6:49 remaining in the first. But Atlanta responded with a 13-2 run, forcing Orlando to call a timeout with the Hawks up seven (21-14).

A couple of threes brought Orlando back within one point (27-26), but an Atlanta 7-1 run to close the quarter and an AJ Griffin buzzer-beating three-pointer put the Hawks back up seven heading into the second period.

An Onyeka Okongwu and-one layup had Atlanta up 11 (44-33) early in the second quarter, but back-to-back threes from Admiral Schofield had the Magic back within seven (47-40) with 6:41 to go in the half.

The Magic pulled themselves back to within one point following a Terrence Ross jumper, but Trae Young, who totaled 15 points and 10 assists in the first half, kept Orlando at bay and pushed the Hawks’ lead back to six (59-53) with 3:57 to play.

But it was Paolo Banchero carrying Orlando down the stretch of the first half, as the rookie drained three straight pull-up jump shots to bring the team to within three (68-65) entering halftime.

Markelle Fultz matched Young’s impressive first half with one of his own: 16 points, four rebounds and six assists while Ross chipped in 11 points off the Magic’s bench.

Atlanta came out of the break soaring, extending their lead to 10 (75-65) and forcing the Magic to take a timeout within the first two minutes of play. But out of the timeout, seven consecutive points from Moe Wagner had the Magic back within three points (75-72) with 8:44 remaining in the third.

The two squads scrapped through the rest of the period, as the Hawks never led by more than seven until the final minute of the quarter when Young scored eight straight points for Atlanta, putting them up 10 (104-94) entering the fourth.

Orlando cut the Atlanta lead to five to begin the final period, but the Hawks’ Griffin responded with a 5-0 run of his own and helped his team reclaim a 10-point lead (109-99) with 9:42 to go.

With 6:59 left in the game, a Bogdan Bogdanovic three-pointer gave Atlanta a 117-104 lead before the Magic took a timeout moments later. And while Orlando got within seven points for what felt like the hundredth time at the 3:48 mark, Young scored and assisted on Atlanta’s next seven points, giving the Hawks a 12-point lead (124-112) in the process.

But the pesky Magic sprinted through the finish line, going on an 11-0 run and bringing themselves within just one point with 28.8 seconds remaining. And following a tremendous defensive possession by Kevon Harris on Young, Orlando had a chance to take the lead with 8.7 left in the game: and Fultz did just that.

But on the Hawks’ final possession, Murray was fouled shooting a potential game-winner and sunk two free throws to give Atlanta a one-point lead (126-125), effectively ending the game.

Fultz nearly recorded a double-double in the loss (24 points and nine assists) and Banchero totaled 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists for the Magic. Young scored 37 points and dished out 13 assists for the Hawks.

The loss snaps a six-game winning streak for the Magic and they will look to restart a new one against the Houston Rockets this coming Wednesday.