Magic 81 - 87 Hawks
Final
  for this game

Hawks hope to stay hot vs. Magic

Dec 12, 2014 - 3:17 PM

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(SportsNetwork.com) - The red-hot Atlanta Hawks will carry an eight-game winning streak into Friday night's home contest against Southeast Division foes, the Orlando Magic.

Friday's game kicks off a home-and-home series between the two with game two in Orlando Saturday night.

The Hawks haven't lost since a home setback to the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 26. This streak has pushed them into a tie for the Southeast lead with the Washington Wizards, and sits them a half-game behind the Raptors for Eastern Conference supremacy.

Atlanta's latest victim was the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. The Hawks returned home to dispatch the Sixers, 95-79, which marked the fourth straight opponent held under 100 points by Atlanta.

Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver each scored 17 points to help the Hawks, while DeMarre Carroll posted 14 points with 11 rebounds. Al Horford chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds for the Hawks, who have won five straight inside Philips Arena.

"I thought our defense was pretty good, but it was just kind of a sloppy game all around," said Korver. "Neither team shot the ball well."

Korver was right about the sloppy nature of the game. Both teams shot a hair under 42 percent from the field, both teams were under 33 percent from long range and both teams committed 18 turnovers.

The Magic had a two-game winning streak halted Wednesday night thanks to a 91-89 home loss to the Wizards. Orlando finished a 3-3 western road swing with two straight wins, but got beat when Bradley Beal converted an alley-oop off an inbounds pass with 0.8 seconds on the clock.

"Game never boils down to that last play," Orlando head coach Jacque Vaughn said.

Victor Oladipo scored 17 to lead the Magic but couldn't stay close enough to Beal on the final play of the game. Oladipo missed a jumper just before the alley-oop that could've given the Magic the lead.

Tobias Harris added 15 points for Orlando, while rookie Elfrid Payton scored 12 points off the bench. Channing Frye and Kyle O'Quinn, who started once again for Nikola Vucevic, who is battling back spasms, both had 10 in the loss.

Vucevic has missed the previous five games with the back ailment and his status for Friday is unknown.

The Hawks are 12-2 in their last 14 regular-season games versus the Magic. Including the postseason, the Hawks had a nine-game home winning streak over Orlando, which snapped it win a 17-point win during the 2013-14 season.






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