ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta Hawks closed out their first-round series with a 103-97 comeback win over the Orlando Magic, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Atlanta once again leaned on C.J. McCollum, who overcame a rough first half in which he scored just one point. McCollum found his rhythm after halftime, scoring 4 in the third quarter before erupting for 12 in the fourth to power the comeback.
The Magic led 83-74 early in the final frame before the Hawks answered with a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to one with 6:57 remaining. Atlanta finally moved ahead 92-91 on a McCollum jumper with 3:21 left.
Paolo Banchero briefly gave Orlando the lead back at 97-96 with a driving layup with 50 seconds remaining, but the Magic failed to score again as Atlanta closed the game on a 7-0 run.
Desmond Bane led Orlando with 27 points — his highest total of the series. Jalen Suggs added 13 points, while Banchero finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds.
Orlando led 27-25 after the first quarter and built a 54-42 halftime advantage after holding Atlanta to just 17 second-quarter points. The Hawks slowly chipped away in the third, trimming the deficit to 78-70 entering the fourth.
The Magic offense collapsed late, shooting just 35% in the final quarter and 1-of-11 from three-point range. Suggs went 0-for-4 from deep as Orlando struggled to keep pace with Atlanta’s 65% shooting in the fourth.
With the win, the Hawks advance to face the New York Knicks, who swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
