The Hawks are looking to extend their winning streak in a big Eastern Conference clash on Monday night with the Orlando Magic
What was supposed to be 'Magic City Monday' between the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night has now become a focal point matchup for the Hawks, as they aim to win their 10th consecutive game.
Despite a surging nine-game winning streak, Atlanta is still the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference, but a head-to-head win over the Magic would be huge for the Hawks' pursuit out of play-in purgatory. The Hawks come in with a 36-31 record, and Orlando is 38-28 (5th in the East).
Atlanta will have a relatively clean bill of health on Monday night, as the only player questionable to not play is Jonathan Kuminga, and that's no surprise.
The surging Hawks have played exceptional team basketball during the winning streak. They've taken full advantage of a soft spot in their schedule, are scoring 120+ points during the last nine games, and have put on strong defensive efforts as well.
"None of these games were smooth sailing — we were tested, and we responded," Alexander-Walker said. "When we talk and stay connected, we respond well. Sometimes all it takes is just talking it out."
Atlanta is attempting to win 10 games in a row for the first time since 2014, when the Hawks achieved a franchise-best 19 consecutive victories.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a career-high 41 points, Jalen Johnson recorded his 13th triple-double of the season, and the Atlanta Hawks rolled past the Magic 124-112 on Monday night, extending their winning streak to 10 games and snapping Orlando's at seven. The Hawks improved to 38-31 and reclaimed eighth place in the Eastern Conference, bumping Philadelphia back to ninth.
Led by Johnson and Alexander-Walker, the Hawks have also seen strong performances from players such as Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, and Onyeka Okongwu. Head coach Quin Snyder seems very confident in the group he runs out there late in the fourth quarter, which has led to a lot of late-game success.
"If we can guard collectively, take care of the ball, get second shots, and win the possession game, that's what's most important," Snyder said. "We did that for the majority of the game."
Johnson had 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists in his second straight triple-double. Dyson Daniels added 15 points and 12 rebounds. Alexander-Walker scored 24 points in the first half, helping Atlanta to a 67-50 lead at halftime. His previous career high was 38 points against the Spurs earlier this season.
The Hawks kept momentum rolling after the intermission, scoring 23 points in the first 5:12 of the third quarter to extend their lead to 29 points. Atlanta totaled 37 points in the period and led 104-83 at the start of the fourth. Orlando cut the deficit to 12 points with 3 1/2 minutes remaining before Atlanta put the game back out of reach.
Paolo Banchero had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. Desmond Bane also added 18 points. The Magic were without Anthony Black (left lateral abdominal strain), Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain), and Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain; injury management). Jonathan Kuminga was available for just his fifth game since joining Atlanta in February while dealing with a bone bruise. Kuminga added seven points and eight rebounds.
As for the Monday night game against the Magic, Orlando has also won seven straight games, but Atlanta is still just two games back of the six seed, and escaping that play-in purgatory that has been where the Hawks continue to live.
"I think we're still growing," Johnson said. "Obviously, the result is wins right now. But even when we were going through losses, our main objective was to continue to get better, continue to grow, and continue to play for one another. I'm proud of this group. We've got a long way to go, but we're going to continue to take it one game at a time."
However, there's no sugar coating that the Monday night matchup is one of the biggest games remaining on the Hawks' schedule.
"I do think just kind of like maybe a little rivalry going up there, and last game they had that incident with Bane and throwing a ball at O, and we knew that we're close in the standings as well," Daniels said. "So these games are important for us, and so we wanted to come out and battle. And, yeah, glad we could get the win."
The Hawks take on the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night to begin a two-game road trip.