Hawks at Magic
The Orlando Magic are treading water during a favorable portion of the schedule and will try to take advantage of another sub-.500 opponent when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. The Magic improved to 2-2 in a stretch of seven straight games against losing teams when they routed Cleveland 120-91 on Thursday in the opener of a five-game homestand.
Aaron Gordon scored 21 points and D.J. Augustin added 20 and seven assists for Orlando, which is one game behind Miami in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. "Every game moving forward for us, the margin of error is getting slimmer and slimmer - almost to none," center Nikola Vucevic told reporters. "We have to get on a run now if we want to get back in the eighth spot." The Hawks are inching closer to mathematical elimination from the playoff race and will have a quick turnaround after a 129-120 loss at Boston on Saturday. Rookie guard Trae Young scored 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting - 5-of-8 from 3-point range - as Atlanta fell to 13-32 against the East.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (24-46): Atlanta was seeking its first three-game winning streak in nearly three months Saturday but allowed 105 points through the first three quarters and faded late after rallying to force a tie midway through the fourth. Young is 18-for-29 from the floor in two games since going 2-for-14 in a win over New Orleans last Sunday. Forward John Collins finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and a career high-tying six assists for his fifth straight double-double since returning from a three-game layoff (illness).
ABOUT THE MAGIC (32-38): Vucevic collected 19 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday's win for his sixth straight double-double. The runaway victory allowed Orlando to limit player usage in the opener of the crucial homestand, with nobody playing more than 29 minutes. "I just liked the way we approached the whole game. This is one of the better games we've played," coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "Since the All-Star break, we've had three or four good ones, but none any better than that."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Orlando won the first two matchups this season by an average 17.5 points.
2. Hawks 42-year-old SF Vince Carter scored 16 points at Boston and has hit double digits in seven of his last nine games.
3. The Magic have taken seven of their last eight at home.