Hawks' Dejounte Murray Gives 'Love & Respect' to Magic Coach Jamahl Mosley

Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is among the many beginning to recognize the Orlando Magic as a true threat.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 18, 2024

Hawks' Dejounte Murray Gives 'Love & Respect' to Magic Coach Jamahl Mosley /

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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks have been in some dogfights this year.

In three meetings between the division rivals, each game was decided by one possession or overtime, including last night's 106-104 loss for the Magic where Dejounte Murray hit a game-winner at the buzzer.

It's the second time Murray has hit the game-winning shot to go ahead for the Hawks this year against the Magic. The tight battles the teams have faced has earned Murray's respect for Orlando.

Dejounte Murray Hawks Cole Anthony — Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

"They're a great team," Murray said postgame. "I got nothing but love and respect for their coach. I see the way he coached the whole 48 minutes every single night. They got a bunch of young talented guys so there's no surprise they're an up-and-coming team."

Orlando is 22-19 after last night's loss, placing them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings. However, the team has lost eight games by two possessions or less. If the Magic would have won even half of those games, they would be in the top four in the East, and if they had won all of those close affairs, they would be right behind the first-place Boston Celtics.

Jonathan Isaac Is a 'Game Changer', Says Coach Mosley

The target on Orlando's back is growing as they continue to garner respect around the league, and it's only a matter of time before they are seen among the Eastern Conference's best.

The Magic are back in action tomorrow night when the Philadelphia 76ers come to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET from the Kia Center.

Published Jan 18, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.