The Atlanta Hawks continued their late-season surge Wednesday night, rolling past the Orlando Magic 130–101 behind a standout performance from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and a dominant second-quarter explosion that broke the game open early.
Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 32 points, including 17 during a decisive second-quarter barrage, while Jalen Johnson delivered another near triple-double with 18 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Dyson Daniels added 15 points and 13 rebounds as Atlanta secured its 17th victory in the last 19 games and completed a season sweep of Orlando.
Atlanta’s balanced effort translated into efficiency across the board. The Hawks shot 51% from the field and controlled the glass with a commanding 52–36 rebounding advantage, continuing a stretch of play that has helped them open a 3½-game lead over Orlando in the Southeast Division with just five games remaining on their schedule (six for the Magic).
The turning point came in a blistering second quarter. After Jonathan Kuminga knocked down a 3-pointer to break a 32–32 tie early in the period, Atlanta seized control and never looked back. The Hawks poured in 47 points in the quarter while shooting 17-of-24 from the floor, stretching the margin to as many as 31 early in the second half. During one decisive four-minute stretch, six different Hawks scored while Orlando went scoreless.
Orlando struggled to find consistent offense throughout the night. Jamal Cain paced the Magic with 17 points off the bench, while Desmond Bane and Wendell Carter Jr. added 14 points each.
One bright spot for Orlando came with the return of forward Franz Wagner, who played his first game since Feb. 11 after missing 47 of the previous 52 contests with a high ankle sprain. Wagner finished with 12 points in 20 minutes. Before the injury, he had averaged 23.4 points per game on 55% shooting through the Magic’s first 23 games.
Tempers briefly flared late in the fourth quarter. With 7:30 remaining and Atlanta leading 110–89, Orlando center Goga Bitadze was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and automatically ejected after pulling Hawks center Jock Landale down by the shoulder. Daniels received a technical foul after confronting Bitadze following the incident.
The victory strengthens Atlanta’s hold atop the division race as the regular season winds down, while Orlando continues to fight to regain rhythm following injuries to key contributors.
Up next, the Hawks travel to Brooklyn on Friday night, while the Magic head to Dallas as both teams continue their push toward the postseason.
