Five observations from Hawks’ 103-100 win over the Magic

By Chris Vivlamore

Dec 21, 2015

Kyle Korver was back to his old self.

The Hawks sharp-shooter hit a corner 3-pointer with 43.6 seconds left to give the Hawks a dramatic 103-100 victory over the Magic Sunday night at Amway Center.

The Hawks (17-12) pulled out the back-and-forth contest with key fourth-quarter 3-pointers from Korver and Mike Scott. The Magic’s Nik Vucevic missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The victory was the third straight for the Hawks and third in a row over the Magic. The Hawks also moved ahead of the Magic in the Eastern Conference and Southeast Division standings.

The Magic (15-12) had their three-game win streak snapped.

The Hawks return home for the second of back-to-back games against the Trail Blazers Monday.

Here are the key players and five observations on the game:

Three key players

Kyle Korver: The Hawks guard scored a team-high 19 points, including six 3-pointers.

Paul Millsap: The Hawks forward had a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Nik Vucevic: The Magic center had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Five observations

1. Korver hot

Korver moved into sole possession of third place on the Hawks’ all-time 3-point field goal list with five on the night. He went 6 of 8 from long range. His fourth tied him with Jason Terry (648). His fifth gave him the spot alone. His sixth was the game-winner.

2. Magic get back in it

The Hawks failed to hold an 11-point first-half lead. The Magic scored 36 third-quarter points that included a 16-0 run. They turned their double-digit deficit into a five-point advantage. The Magic took a 78-77 lead into the final quarter.

3. Horford strong early

Al Horford scored 14 first-half points with five of his baskets coming on dunks. The center was 7 of 11 from the field. He also had five rebounds in the first two quarters. He would have just one more rebound the rest of the way.

4. Second-quarter rally

The Hawks trailed 29-25 after the first quarter despite shooting 61.1 percent (11 of 18) from the field. While the Magic did shoot 63.2 percent (12 of 19) they were aided by eight Hawks turnovers (leading to eight points). Things changed dramatically in the second quarter. The Hawks went on a 19-2 run in the quarter to lead by as many as 11 points. They shot 47.8 percent (11 of 23) and did not commit a turnover. The Magic shot 26.3 percent (5 of 19) to end the quarter with just 13 points, the second fewest points the Hawks have allowed in any quarter this season. The Hawks had a 52-42 lead at intermission. Mike Scott had eight points in the quarter, including back-to-back 3-pointers to start the 19-2 run.

5. Millsap in Orlando

Millsap was courted hard by the Magic in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. He ultimately spurned their offer and re-signed with the Hawks. He spurned them again on Sunday with his double-double.

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