Talk about a rough way for a winning streak to end.
The Hawks thought they had gotten the kind of big play that would stretch their winning streak to 10 games when Kyle Korver hit a 3-pointer to give them a one-point lead with 3.4 seconds remaining.
However, Orlando’s Tobias Harris answered with a buzzer beater, sending the Magic to a 100-99 victory over the Hawks at the Amway Center Saturday night.
“Tobias hit a great shot,” Hawks center Al Horford said. “You’ve got to give them credit. This team played us hard yesterday, right until the end as well. Tonight, they made plays down the stretch.”
Atlanta (16-7), which defeated Orlando 87-81 at home Friday night, faced a much different challenge this time around.
Orlando center Nikola Vucevic returned after a six-game absence due to a back injury and had major impact on the game, getting a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
With Vucevic on the floor, the Magic (10-16) were able to work the ball inside much more, scoring 44 points in the paint on Saturday, one night after scoring 26 points in the paint against the Hawks.
Orlando made 22 of 36 shots inside, which helped the Magic shoot 50 percent from the field overall.
“We saw them last night without Vucevic and he’s a force against anybody, one of the greater players in the league in my opinion,” Atlanta guard Kent Bazemore said. “It definitely changed the whole game for them. They really screwed up our defensive schemes from night to night.”
Still, it was a game the Hawks had a chance to win, leading 94-91 with 1:57 to play before the Magic scored six straight points to help create the drama at the finish.
Jeff Teague had 24 points to lead Atlanta. Horford added 18 points and eight rebounds. Harris had 20 points for the Magic in a game where the biggest lead for either team was six points.
“Anytime you lose a game like that, it’s going to be tough – winning streak or not,” Bazemore said. “You’ve got to credit them. Tobias Harris is a special player.”
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