The Orlando Magic dropped to 1-1 on the season after falling 111-107 to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, with head coach Jamahl Mosley emphasizing the challenge of containing star guard Trae Young down the stretch.
Young controlled the tempo late, showcasing his trademark craft and ability to draw fouls when Orlando tried to tighten its defense. Mosley addressed the frustration that comes with defending a player of Young’s skill level, particularly in clutch situations.
“He got downhill quickly down the stretch because of his ability to knock down shots, so you have to press up,” Mosley said. “Then a couple of those last ones where he gets downhill and stops on a dime and you’re stuck in the place of you’re trying not to foul, but he takes away your space and they give him that call… so it’s hard. You try to defend him without fouling, without giving up the easy layup, but he’s such a shifty player that he can stop on a dime and get that call as well, you know, throwing his body into the defender and getting that call so it’s tough to defend it that way.”
Franz Wagner leads Magic as Hawks rally behind Trae Young’s late heroics
Young finished with 25 points, six assists, three steals, and a rebound while shooting 7-for-18 from the field and 10-for-12 from the free throw line. Though he struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just one of six attempts, his late-game execution proved too much for Orlando to contain.
The Magic controlled much of the first half but faltered down the stretch, undone by turnovers and missed free throws in the final minutes. Franz Wagner once again led the team offensively, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds, and two assists while shooting 10-for-17 from the field.
Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane, however, struggled to find rhythm. Banchero finished with 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting, including 0-for-5 from three-point range, along with six rebounds and one assist in 36 minutes. Bane added 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals, but shot just 5-for-14 from the field and 1-for-7 from deep across 33 minutes.
Despite the loss, Orlando saw another strong performance from second-year forward Tristan da Silva, who provided energy off the bench with 15 points, six rebounds, and three steals on efficient shooting. His contributions helped keep the Magic within striking distance late.
The Magic will look to regroup and close out their three-game homestand on a positive note when they host the Chicago Bulls (1-0) on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, the Hawks return to Atlanta to host the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0) on Sunday.
