Hawks at Magic
Facing the possibility of playing the remainder of the regular season without Al Horford, the Hawks have discovered just how valuable Paul Millsap will be moving forward. Millsap looks to build off his most impressive performance of the season as he leads the Hawks into Orlando on Sunday for a date with the Magic. Millsap erupted for 33 points and 13 rebounds as Atlanta escaped with a 118-116 overtime victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday.
Orlando comes in fresh off one of its strongest efforts of the season, a 109-92 triumph over Detroit in which five players finished in double figures in scoring and three had double-doubles. Arron Afflalo, who led the way with 23 points, said it was important for the team to have a strong showing in its own building. "It's good to get a win at home for once," he said. "I thought we shared the ball throughout the game. When we play like that I think we're pretty good."
TV: 6 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (17-13): Atlanta may have earned the victory in its first taste of action without its leading scorer and rebounder, but the effort was far from perfect. Atlanta got off to a sluggish start against the Bobcats and needed Pero Antic's acrobatic 3-pointer near the end of regulation to even have a chance at the victory. Forward Elton Brand said the news about Horford caught he and his teammates by surprise, and added: "I was just thinking, maybe a week ago, what a luxury it is to have Al, Paul and all these good bigs who come to play."
ABOUT THE MAGIC (9-20): Orlando knew it was getting a versatile player when it selected guard Victor Oladipo with the second pick in this year's NBA draft. Now, the Magic are giving him a chance to show just how flexible he is - handing Oladipo point guard duties in addition to a healthy portion of minutes at his natural spot at shooting guard. "I'm getting more comfortable with it," Oladipo told the Orlando Sentinel regarding the position switch. "The past couple games I hadn't been playing that well, but again, I'm trying to keep an even keel."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Orlando halted Atlanta's 11-game winning streak in the head-to-head series with a 109-92 triumph Nov. 26.
2. Millsap averages 15.1 points in 15 career games versus Orlando.
3. Magic coach Jacque Vaughn says no decision has been made on whether to have Oladipo play the point more regularly.