ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic's season opener was spoiled by the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday in a 132-125 loss.

Wednesday’s contest featured 22 lead changes and nine ties as both the Hawks and the Magic battled hard to grab hold of and maintain an advantage. Whenever it looked like one of the teams was breaking away, the other would make a run.

Overall, it was a game that was not short on excitement or intensity, and it provided a preview of what is to come between these Southeast Division rivals. After Wednesday's game, the Hawks have now defeated the Magic in five-straight regular season meetings. Let’s identify the key points.

For fans of both teams, the performances of Paolo Banchero and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were a sight to behold.

Banchero and Alexander-Walker battled until the final buzzer, as the former scored a game-high 35 points and dished out 10 assists, and the latter led his team with 31 points.

In terms of efficiency, Banchero was nearly perfect, as he hit 10 of his 12 shots and three of his four attempts from 3-point range. Banchero also attempted 16 free throws, 12 of which he converted.

After the game, Magic coach Sean Sweeney praised Banchero, but he also believes he can continue to get better. On the flip side, Alexander-Walker made Orlando pay from the perimeter, hitting five of his eight attempts. 

He also hurt the Magic by getting to the line, where he made 10 of his 13 free throws.

Banchero tapped into his star power on Wednesday, but it was not enough to get his team across the finish line. Now, he will have to bounce back again on Friday when the Magic host the Minnesota Timberwolves.

When it came to ball security, Orlando struggled, and it diminished the effort of its defense.

The Magic committed 20 turnovers that the Hawks turned into 24 points. Orlando forced 17 turnovers for 18 points, and even though the difference was small, it was enough to contribute to the Hawks’ win.

The free throws were also an issue, which center Wendell Carter Jr. pointed to after the game. He said the Magic fouled Atlanta too often, and those fouls, in conjunction with the turnovers, contributed to the loss.

"I think turnovers were big," Banchero said to open his press conference when asked about the difference in the game.

Orlando fouled the Hawks 28 times, and the latter committed 30 fouls. Both teams made 30 free throws, but the Magic missed nine, while Atlanta only missed six.

Again, the difference in turnovers, fouls and free throws may seem negligible, but in a game in which the margin of victory was this small, those metrics became significant.