The Hawks returned from the All-Star break but they still had some rust, losing to the Magic 114-108 on Thursday night at State Farm Arena.
Here are five observations:
1. The Hawks stopped making shots. After building a 19-point lead just under two minutes in the second quarter, the Hawks stopped making baskets as the Magic upped their physical play after the opening frame. The Hawks made just nine field goals.
The Hawks missed 37 of their two-point attempts. Contested putbacks or falling off to the side out of bounds left the Hawks down a man to be in position to grab a rebound. If they were under the basket, the Hawks would attempt their second-chance layups in traffic with the Magic bearing down on them and ready to disrupt the look.
“We missed a lot of layups tonight and that could be a little rust from being on the break and just not, I mean, I’m not saying not ready to play, but just little things that we’ll be okay if we continue doing we’ll be right,” Hawks guard Trae Young said.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
2. The Magic, who rank third in the league in defensive rating, scored 26 fast-break points. But most of the Magic’s offense came off the explosive play of Paolo Banchero in the second quarter. Banchero scored just two points in his first eight minutes of play.
But just over two minutes into the second frame as he stepped up to the free-throw line, some Hawks fans in the arena began to chant “overrated.” Banchero then scored 18 points in eight minutes and finished the first half with 20 of 36 points.
It’s the second game straight game that the Hawks have allowed Banchero to flame them for 15 or more points in a quarter. But Banchero attacked the Hawks from all three levels and drew 16 trips to the free-throw line.
“Just like you said, try to throw doubles at him,” Hawks guard Caris LeVert said when asked how a player like Banchero can be stopped. “You try to make him see different coverages, make him take tough contested twos. You just try to make all the shots contested.”
3. The calls from officials eventually caught up to the Hawks in the second half. The Magic entered the bonus with 9:18 to play in the fourth quarter but hadn’t given up any team fouls themselves.
Officials whistled Young for a foul on Banchero. The Hawks ended up challenging the call but officials did not overturn it after they said he “made illegal knee-to-knee content with the offensive player that disrupts his speed, quickness, balance and rhythm.” It was Young’s fourth foul of the game despite going three quarters without one.
The Magic ended up with 38 free-throw attempts, while the Hawks had 28.
“The way we drove, even some of the guys are laughing when they weren’t calling fouls,” Young said. “I mean, we’d go on the other end. So, it’s frustrating.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
4. While the Hawks didn’t seem to get the benefit of the whistle, Young tried to use the Magic’s physical play against them. Young, who has not typically gotten continuation, earned at least three and-one opportunities.
With 3:00 to play in the first quarter, Young put the Magic’s Anthony Black on his hip on a drive to the basket. He let the finger-roll layup go as Black closed in to contest the shot. He drew his third trip to the free-throw line.
He had another in the third quarter and another in fourth, finishing the game with 38 points, four rebounds and five assists.
5. After missing nine games before the trade deadline, Hawks center Clint Capela returned to the rotation. The veteran center provided the Hawks with a strong defender that forced Banchero to call for screens and switches to free him up to take his shots.
But Capela showed some rust on the offensive side, as a couple of putbacks and hook shots hit the side of the rim. But he scored a tip-in layup.
Stat to know
1 - Zaccharie Risacher posted his first double-double of his career behind 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, in addition to one block and one steal in 23 minutes.
Quotable
“I’m not 19 anymore. I can communicate with these people, and I have with a lot of the rest, and I feel like the rest have been responsive for the most part.” Trae Young on dealing with the officials
Up next
The Hawks play the Pistons on Sunday at State Farm Arena.
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