Hawks vs Magic: Takeaways From Atlanta's Win in Mexico City

Atlanta moves to 5-3 with their win over the Magic

What a win for the Hawks in Mexico City. 

Atlanta was down 11 with eight minutes to go, but Atlanta found a way to win against their division rivals and now they have won five of their last six games. 

Atlanta started off fast on offense but slowed in the second half until the final minutes. The defense was still a bit of an issue last night against an Orlando team that has a hard time scoring the ball, but at the end of the day, a win is a win for Atlanta. 

So what are the key takeaways from last night's win?

1. Trae Young finally had his breakout game of the season

Trae Young scored 41 points against the Magic on Thursday night / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It had been a struggle for Young coming into the night shooting the basketball, but he had his best game of the season against the Magic. 

Young scored 33 points in the first half and finished the night with 41. He shot 12-27 from the field and was 12-13 from the line. He was 5-15 from three and if this is a sign of things to come for Young, then it is going to make on of the NBA's best offenses even better. Not to mention, Orlando was 3rd in the NBA in points per game allowed coming into the game. 

It has been a frustrating shooting start for Young, but he may have gotten back on track last night. 

2. The defense still has things to figure out. 

Coming into the game yesterday, Atlanta was 23rd in PPG allowed, 20th in three-point field goal percentage allowed, and 22nd in field goal percentage allowed. Cleaning the glass does see the Hawks's defense as being a bit better, ranking them 15th in points allowed per 100 possessions.

Coming into the game yesterday, Orlando was 25th in PPG, 22nd in field goal percentage, and 27th in three-point field goal percentage. The Magic would score 119 points and shot 46.7% from the field and 37.0% from three. 

For the Hawks to truly reach their ceiling, they are going to have to get more out of their defense. Orlando is not a team that shoots the ball well, but they were able to get open looks against the Hawks. There is potential to be better, but there is still a ways to go. 

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