Facing a second Southeast Division opponent to open the season, the Magic fought back and forth late in a physical contest Friday night at Kia Center against the Hawks.
Although Orlando, who was playing on the first night of a back-to-back, led by as many as 14 points, the Hawks remained within striking distance throughout much of the second half and tied the game at 93 halfway through the final frame.
Despite a game-high 27 points from Franz Wagner, the Magic fell at home 111-107 to the Hawks, who had five players finish in double figures, including guard Trae Young (team-high 25 points).
Much like Orlando’s opening win against the Heat, neither side took care of the ball Friday night when the Hawks scored 20 points off 21 Magic turnovers and Jamahl Mosley’s squad scored 13 off 16 takeaways.
The Hawks (1-1) were without 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher (right ankle sprain) and center Kristaps Porzingis (flu-like symptoms), the latter of whom the franchise acquired from Boston over the summer, against Orlando.
The Magic (1-1) have a quick turnaround when they host the Bulls on Saturday night.
Starting 5
Mosley stuck with the same starting as opening night when Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. were the first five on the court.
Wagner hit his first pair of triples to post 19 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the field in the first half alone. He found himself in foul trouble when he picked up his third late in the second quarter. Wagner scored just 2 points in the fourth.
Bane was the lone other member of the Magic to reach double figures before the break despite starting 1 of 5 from deep. He dished out 5 assists and ended with 15 points.
Banchero had a quiet evening when he opened 1 of 6 from the field and never really found his footing on offense when he totaled just 11 points in 36 minutes. He missed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the game.
It was Carter again who grabbed a crucial offensive rebound and tied the game at 105 with a pair of free throws with 54.2 seconds left in the contest. He ended with 10 points in 31 minutes.
Suggs watch
The Magic guard, who was playing in just his second game since Jan. 25 after returning from a left knee cartilage injury, continued to play short 3-4 minute stints.
Even in restricted minutes, Suggs made his presence felt on both ends with physical defense and accuracy from distance when he hit his first pair of triples to end with 11 points in 19 minutes.
A layup from Suggs tied the game at 107 with 38 seconds left in the game.
“Those short bursts will help him in a lot of ways, just being able to settle himself down as well as when he goes to the bench, he can analyze the game even more,” Mosley said before the game. “It’ll be that for quite some time, but just being able to have him out there is a great thing.”
Second unit
Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, Tyus Jones, Goga Bitadze, Jett Howard and Jonathan Isaac made up Orlando’s reserves.
Da Silva continued to have success penetrating the paint and attacking in transition. He hit his first 3 in transition from the left corner and later made an offensive putback off his own missed layup.
Howard was fifth player off the bench, which was change from opening night when he didn’t play. The third-year guard hit first 3 shortly after entering the game but only played 4 minutes.
Isaac, who played 7 minutes opening night, only saw the court for the final 9 seconds of the third quarter.
Free points
The Magic failed to take advantage of their early opportunities to the free throw line when they missed 9 of their first 14 free throws. In a 4-point loss, Orlando shot 24 of 37 (64.9%) for the night.
The performance was far from their opening night showing when they shot 82.9% (29 of 35) at the charity stripe.
Instead, it was closer to last season’s team average when Orlando shot 77.5% on FTs, which was 19th in the league.
Houstan returns
Former Magic guard-forward Caleb Houstan made his return to Kia Center as a member of the Hawks on Friday but he didn’t play.
The 6-foot-8 wing recently signed a two-way contract with Atlanta after going through training camp with the organization. Prior to the game, Mosley reflected Houstan’s three years with Orlando, who drafted him in the 2022 second round.
“He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen and been around,” the Magic coach said. “Loved the time that he was here with us and what he represented for us.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
