Hawks at Magic
The winning formula for the Orlando Magic is a reliance on balanced scoring, and sharing the offensive load has helped Orlando recover from a brutal 2014-15 and a slow start to this season to win nine of its past 12 games. The Magic aim for their fourth victory in a row Sunday when they host the Atlanta Hawks in a Central Division matchup, and sit just 10 victories away from matching the 25 wins they recorded all of last season.
“Whoever has the hot hand, we keep feeding him and build trust that the guy with the hot hand is going to make the right play,” Magic forward Tobias Harris told reporters after Friday’s 102-94 victory over Portland. Orlando has five players averaging in double figures through 26 games, and after going 25-57 last season the Magic have experienced the largest improvement in winning percentage so far in 2015-16 (.577 vs. .305). Atlanta has won two in a row since snapping a three-game losing streak but has lacked the consistency offensively that led it to the division title and the Eastern Conference finals last season. Dennis Schroder scored 22 points Friday as the Hawks won at Boston 109-101, filling in as Jeff Teague missed the final 16 minutes after turning his ankle.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (16-12): Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters after Friday’s game that Teague, who missed three games last month with an ankle injury, could have returned, but Schroder’s play led him to rest Teague. Paul Millsap, who scored 15 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter on Friday, continues his stellar all-around season in leading the Hawks in points (18.2), rebounds (8.9) and steals (1.8). Atlanta ranks in the top five in the NBA in assists (25.1), steals (9.5) and percentage of points off turnovers (20.2).
ABOUT THE MAGIC (15-11): Harris and center Nikola Vucevic each scored 25 points against the Trail Blazers, combining to shoot 21-of-35 from the field with 23 rebounds, but true to Orlando’s style got help from guards Victor Oladipo (nine of his 15 points coming in the fourth quarter) and Elfrid Payton (19 points). Vucevic leads Orlando in scoring (15.9 points) and rebounding (8.7), averaging 17.1 points on 53 percent shooting from the field in December. The Magic shot just 2-of-15 from 3-point range Friday after going 29-of-67 from beyond the arc in their previous three games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Schroder is averaging 14.4 points, 6.5 assists and 2.8 steals in his past four games.
2. Payton injured his left ankle in the first half on Friday but remained in the game while F Evan Fourier dislocated his left pinkie finger in the first quarter but returned.
3. The Hawks have won 15 of the past 18 meetings with Orlando.