ATLANTA, GA — Onyeka Okongwu threw down a go-ahead dunk with four seconds remaining to lift the Atlanta Hawks past the Orlando Magic 116-114 in Game 1 at State Farm Arena.
Orlando appeared in control late after Wendell Carter Jr. slipped behind the defense for a dunk that gave the Magic a 114-108 lead with 1:04 remaining. But the Hawks answered quickly behind C.J. McCollum, who drilled back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 114.
After an Orlando timeout, Jalen Suggs missed a potential game-winning jumper as time expired.
McCollum led Atlanta with 31 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Okongwu added 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Jalen Johnson contributed 15 points.
Franz Wagner paced Orlando with 27 points and 3 assists. Suggs and Paolo Banchero each added 20 points in the loss.
The Magic led 49-44 at halftime and carried a 90-84 advantage into the fourth before Atlanta closed strong, outscoring Orlando 32-24 in the final frame behind McCollum’s late scoring burst.
