Magic reach playoffs with play-in victory over Hawks

Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel on Apr 15, 2025

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Nothing out of the ordinary.

That’s how Magic coach Jamahl Mosley described his day leading up to Tuesday night’s play-in tournament game against the Hawks.

And Orlando‘s pathway to victory against Atlanta at Kia Center for a spot in the NBA playoffs was nothing out of the ordinary for Mosley’s squad.

Wendell Carter Jr. racked up 19 points, Paolo Banchero recorded 17 and Franz Wagner added 13 as the Magic defeated the Hawks, 120-95, in front of an electric home crowd and national TV audience on TNT.

But that trio couldn’t do it without key scoring from its bench including Cole Anthony (26 points) and Anthony Black (16).

With the 25-point win, the No. 7 Magic clinch the 7-seed in the playoffs and a ticket to face No. 2 Boston, where a best-of-seven series opens Sunday at TD Garden.

Facing each other for the fifth time this season and third time in the past week, the Magic and Hawks battled back and forth in a game that saw Orlando lead by as many as 22 points in the first half.

The Magic regained control in the fourth quarter, outscoring Atlanta 41-22 in the last 12 minutes. Atlanta star Trae Young (28 points) was ejected after he picked up back-to-back technical fouls with 4:47 left in the game.

As the Magic head to the playoffs, the Hawks will host the winner of the Nos. 9-10 play-in game that takes place Wednesday night between Chicago and Miami on Friday.

What worked

Banchero missed his first three shots from the floor but got to the free-throw line early and often. He shot 7 of 8 from the charity stripe in the opening frame.

And as Atlanta sent multiple defenders in his direction, the Magic forward found open teammates elsewhere on the floor. He racked up five assists in the first quarter.

After both teams settled down, the Magic ended the first quarter on an 18-2 run to take an early 32-17 lead.

Banchero added nine rebounds and seven assists.

Franz Wagner missed all five of his 3-point attempts but remained diligent at attacking the basket to create offense elsewhere for Orlando. In addition to 13 points, he added 13 rebounds for a double-double.

The Magic scored 12 points off eight Atlanta turnovers.

What didn’t

The third quarter again caused problems for the Magic as the Hawks held a 26-18 advantage in the frame.

Orlando’s offense came to a halt for the first eight minutes or so of the third frame.

And at the same time, Young found his groove on other end, hitting three of his first five shots from the floor in the quarter and making his way to the free-throw line.

After a scoreless first quarter, Young notched 10 points in the second quarter and 12 more in the third.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shot 1 of 7 from 3-point range on a night Orlando finished 11 of 39 (28.2%) from distance.

Bench factor

Second-year pro Black immediately made an impact on the game, scoring seven points in the first quarter, hitting his first three shots from the floor.

In one first-quarter sequence, he had an offensive put-back off a Banchero miss, blocked Young on the other end and hit from distance in transition.

Black’s second 3-pointer with 6:44 left in the contest put the Magic ahead by 15 points. Less than two minutes later, his third triple extended Orlando’s lead to 19.

Anthony provided a much-needed boost of energy near the end of the third quarter and that continued into the fourth. The backup point guard added five assists in 20 minutes.

Anthony’s fourth 3-pointer was the final blow with five minutes left.

Jonathan Isaac made his presence felt on the defensive end as well. The Magic forward racked up a block and two steals in the first half alone before he totaled six points and eight rebounds.

Orlando’s bench outscored Atlanta’s 57-30.