The Orlando Magic hosted the Atlanta Hawks this evening in a matchup that would decide who would face the Boston Celtics as the 7th seed. Orlando pulled away late to go from the NBA Play-In Tournament to the main bracket.
Orlando Magic’s Bench Commands Blowout Victory
The Magic saw the surge of their guards on the bench that ultimately won it for them as they combined for 42 points. Cole Anthony led the Magic offense with 26 points off the bench in 20 minutes on 10-of-17 shooting. Anthony also compiled 5 assists to go with his stellar performance.
Anthony Black added 16 off the bench, going 3-of-3 from the three-point arc. The pair extended the lead to 27 late in the fourth quarter before subbing out. Atlanta started the game out slow but made things much more competitive. They came as close as cutting the lead to three points in the third quarter. Unfortunately for Atlanta, that is the closest they came to taking the lead.
Trae Young had 28 points on 8-of-21 shooting. The All-Star was ejected late in the fourth after receiving double a technical after a frustrating performance. The Orlando Magic held a 14-point lead to end the first half. After a struggle-filled third quarter, Anthony was able to extend the Orlando lead after consecutive baskets. The Hawks never had an answer following that.
Final Thoughts
The Magic will go on to face the Boston Celtics in the first round as the No. 7 seed on Sunday. Atlanta will face the winner of the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls game set to take place on Wednesday in the 9/10 matchup. They play to win the 8th seed of the Eastern Conference to go up against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have the league’s second-best record.
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