The Atlanta Hawks are 1-0 this season.
In what was a back-and-forth affair against Orlando, the Hawks battled back from a tough third quarter where the Magic took 20 free throw attempts and won the final quarter of play to get an important win to start the year.
So what are the biggest takeaways from last night's game?
1. Hawks continue to dominate this rivalry
While not a headliner of a matchup every time they play, like the Thunder vs the Spurs or Celtics vs 76ers, the Hawks and the Magic have had some contentious battles, dating back to last year. There have been multiple scuffles on the court, including last night when Magic star Paolo Banchero and Hawks star Jalen Johnson exchanged words after the game and had to be seperated.
Dating back to last season, the Hawks have won five straight against Orlando, with three of those wins coming by double-digits. Orlando tries to win with physicality and toughness, but time and again, Atlanta is the tougher and more physical team. We will see where each team ends up in April, but the Hawks have shown they are a better team than Orlando yet again.
2. Atlanta overcomes foul trouble
While both teams finished close together in terms of free throw attempts, Orlando took 20 (yes, 20) attempts in the third quarter, and both Jalen Johnson and Lu Dort had five fouls in the fourth quarter. There was a moment late in the fourth when it looked like Johnson was going to foul out of the game, but the call was overturned and he was allowed to stay in the game, where he finished strong.
This has not been an uncommon occurence for the Hawks when they play the Magic, but they were able to overcome it
3. Nickeil Alexander-Walker picking up where he left off
Alexander-Walker was the winner of last year's Most Improved Player Award, but had a rough playoff series against the Knicks and there was some doubt across NBA media if last season's big breakout was real and if the shooting would continue.
It is just one game, but Alexander-Walker looks ready to pick things right back up. He scored 31 points against Orlando, shooting 8-for-15 from the field and 5-for-8 from three, including two big three-pointers late in the game to seal the vicotry for the Hawks. He played solid defense throughout the night as well.
Alexander-Walker has the type of talent to have an All-Star type season and tonight was a great start.
4. Aaron Wiggins leads an uneven bench effort
The Hawks only went nine-deep against the Magic, as expected, and it was Aaron Wiggins who had the best night of the bench squad.
Wiggins scored 16 points off the bench for the Hawks, shooting 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-5 from three. He played solid defense as well and had a really nice overall debut as a Hawk.
It was uneven for the rest of the bench. Jock Landale had 10 points, but only two rebounds. Kingston Flemings played with good energy, especially on defense, but he was held scoreless against Orlando. Dort battled foul trouble for most of the night and shot 2-for-7 from the field.
Atlanta has better depth than they did a season ago, but it was an up-and-down night for them.
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