Things to watch during Hawks at Magic Play-In game

So, the Hawks and Magic have a sense of familiarity.

“We played them a lot,” Hawks guard Dyson Daniels said Monday. “They played us a lot. So, you know, they know we do. We know what they do. So just about trying to find those little things that we need to clean up on, be better at them.

Here are three things to watch during Tuesday’s Play-In game at the Kia Center in Orlando.

1. The Hawks cannot get their hands caught in the cookie jar. On average, the Hawks committed 20.8 personal fouls during the four games against the Magic this season. They sent the Magic to the free-throw line an average of 27 times where they shot 71.3%.

“It’s really hard,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “I think you have to show your hands. If you reach and you’re undisciplined, they’re going to find your arm and draw a foul, and you’re going to have a moment where you don’t think you fouled them, and you did. It has a real impact on the game, both scoring, but also it impacts what you’re able to do on the offensive end.”

Magic forward Paolo Banchero took 34 free throws across the three games he played against the Hawks, which allowed him to put points on the board while the clock stopped. It slowed the Hawks’ attempts to push the pace and forced them to play against a set defense.

When the Hawks play the Magic on Tuesday night, they will have to play with even more poise and control when in their defensive approach. They know that the Magic play with a lot of physicality.

“Physicality goes up a level, and the refs usually let a little bit more go,” Hawks guard Dyson Daniels said. “So, I think that’s good for us. We can come out and be physical with them, push them off their spots, keep them outside the paint and stuff like that. They’re a big team. They got a lot of good guys, strong guys that are physical as well. So it’ll be a battle. It’ll be an intense game, but we’re gonna be able to challenge.”

2. The Hawks have an uphill battle with matching the Magic’s size on Tuesday night with two key veteran front-court members out for the game. Hawks center Clint Capela missed the last 16 games of the regular season due to family reasons, as well as a left fourth metacarpal ligament sprain. The Hawks also have not had Larry Nance Jr. in the rotation since Feb. 12 with a right medial femoral condyle fracture.

There had been some hope that Nance could make a return in time for Tuesday’s Play-In game. The Hawks ruled him out for the remainder of the regular season but said they would re-evaluate him at its conclusion.

But without Nance and Capela, the Hawks will have to continue finding creative ways to match the Magic’s bigger front court.

Hawks second-year forward Mouhamed Gueye has played significant minutes in Nance’s absence. The team has deployed him as a backup center to starter Onyeka Okongwu, and it has been far better with him on the court defensively. The Hawks allow 9.6 fewer points per 100 possessions with Gueye on the court.

But they’ll have to handle their matchups against the Magic as a unit.

“It has to be something we do collectively,” Snyder said. “If we stacked all our guys on top of each other -- that’s actually a pretty good metaphor. And I think in addition to size, it’s aggressiveness and strength. They know where their shots are coming from. They know who’s taking those shots. And a part of the play is getting to the offensive glass.”

3. The Hawks will not have much room for error, and winning the possession battle will be key. Not only will they need to generate as many good looks but they’ll have to capitalize as efficiently as possible. They shot just 46.5% from the floor this season as they tried to play through the Magic’s physical style of play.

The Magic, like many teams this season, tend to pick up Trae Young 70-94 feet before sending a double to trap it at half court. Young and his teammates will need to make quick, decisive reads to maximize their opportunity to score.

The Hawks are at their best when they let the ball fly around the court to get guys like Caris LeVert, Terance Mann, Georges Niang and rookie Zaccharie Risacher open.

So, if the Hawks can execute their guiding principles consistently on Tuesday night, they could book their trip to the postseason.