Magic use long ball, bench to defeat Hawks
ATLANTA -- The Orlando Magic didn't look a thing like the team that was next-to-last in the NBA at 94.8 points per game coming into Tuesday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Magic hit 15 3-pointers while shooting 58.6 percent overall, and got 62 points off the bench in snapping a three-game losing streak with a 131-120 victory over the Hawks.
Serge Ibaka had 29 points and Evan Fournier scored 23 points as the Magic (11-15) had their biggest offensive night of the season.
Elfrid Peyton, who has lost his starting spot this season to D.J. Augustin, had career highs with 26 points and 14 assists in leading the bench effort, which also featured 20 points from Jodie Meeks and 16 from Jeff Green.
Dwight Howard had 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Hawks (12-13).
The Hawks' used a 15-2 run early in the third quarter to take a lead, but the Magic led 99-96 going into the final quarter thanks to a 3-point basket by Meeks just before the buzzer.
Then the Magic quickly put the game away, outscoring the Hawks 17-7 to start the fourth as they continued to bomb away from 3-point range.
It was the third straight victory for the Magic over the Hawks after losing 17 of the previous 20 meetings.
The Magic, who didn't commit a turnover until the final minute of the second quarter, led 72-62 at intermission on 59.2 percent shooting.
The point total was the best by seven points in a half for Orlando this season and the most scored against the Hawks by six points in a first half.
Fournier had 17 points and Ibaka scored 16 in the first half for the Magic, who had 21 assists on their 29 baskets.
Howard, who missed just one first-half shot, had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds by halftime as the Hawks scored 20 second-chance points.
NOTES: C Nikola Vucevic, who averages 11 rebounds to lead the Magic, missed his second straight game because of a sore lower back after taking a hard fall at Charlotte last Friday. ... C Bismack Biyombo started for the Magic despite a strained left shoulder. ... G Kent Bazemore returned for the Hawks after sitting out two games with a sore right knee, but came off the bench as G Tim Hardaway Jr. remained in the starting lineup. ... F Mike Scott, who has appeared in just three games for the Hawks because of knee issues, will play for Long Island on Wednesday in his second NBA Development League assignment. ... The Hawks recalled F DeAndre Bembry after the first-round draft pick averaged 27 points in two D-League games with Utah. ... The Magic complete the back-to-back on Wednesday in Orlando against the Los Angeles Clippers.