Magic at Hawks
After falling just shy of a perfect 4-0 homestand, the Orlando Magic head to Atlanta looking for their first road win of the year against the Hawks on Saturday. The Magic, who rebounded from a pair of road losses to start the season with three straight wins at home, fell 91-89 to Boston on Friday in a sloppy performance that featured 20 turnovers. "I think, overall, turnovers kept [the Celtics] in the game early and kept them in the game late," coach Jacque Vaughn told the Orlando Sentinel.
Atlanta is averaging 105.2 points through five games this season - tops in the Eastern Conference - and has dominated Orlando in recent years, winning eight straight in the series. The Hawks fell 109-107 in Denver on Thursday, blowing an eight-point lead with less than seven minutes to go, and coach Mike Budenholzer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution an emphasis on defense is in order. "Defensively, we need to put together where we are holding teams under 100 points and having a better effort."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), SportsSouth (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (3-3): Arron Afflalo, who leads Orlando is scoring at 19.5 points, appeared to have hit a game-tying shot against Boston in the waning seconds on Friday, but both feet were on the 3-point line and the basket was ruled a 2-pointer. Afflalo, who finished with 23 points in the game, said of the play, "It just wasn't a smart play. I'm very upset at myself for stepping on the line." Center Nikola Vucevic averages 17.2 points and a team-high 13.2 rebounds, which ranks third in the NBA.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (2-3): Paul Milsap, who signed with the Hawks as a free agent this summer following seven seasons in Utah, is Atlanta's leading scorer in the early going, averaging 20.6 points. Al Horford is off to a fast start for the Hawks as well, putting up 18.6 points and 11.2 rebounds for through five games and Budenholzer is happy with the pair thus far. "That's what it takes to get wins - both Paul and Al. I think they are working well together," he said.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Magic are 2-24 in their last 26 road games.
2. Atlanta PG Dennis Schroder is expected to return against Orlando after serving a one game suspension for striking Sacramento C DeMarcus Cousins in the groin on Tuesday.
3. Orlando shot 50.2 percent in the first three games of its recent homestand, as opposed to 39.8 percent against Boston on Friday.