Hawks Spoil Markelle Fultz Debut, Beat Magic Convincingly

The Orlando Magic showed signs that it is getting healthier Wednesday, but the losing streak continued against the Atlanta Hawks.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 30, 2022

Hawks Spoil Markelle Fultz Debut, Beat Magic Convincingly /

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is getting healthier, but it wasn't enough to beat the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night at the Amway Center. The Magic lost its sixth straight game by a score of 125-108.

There was a lot of optimism coming into the game for the Magic with the season debut of Markelle Fultz, who missed the first 21 games of the year with a fractured toe. The team also welcomed back Cole Anthony, who missed the last 17 games with a strained oblique.

Fultz and Anthony were both on minutes restrictions, but tonight was a solid first step for both of them. Fultz scored eight points in 17 minutes, while Anthony added 11 in 24 minutes off the bench.

While the energy surrounding the team was strong, Trae Young and the Hawks zapped it right out of the Magic early. Atlanta blitzed out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and forced Orlando to play catch-up all night long.

While Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero once again led the Magic, their efforts weren't enough to withstand the Hawks. Atlanta led by as much as 25 in the third quarter and cruised to victory.

While the signs are there for the Magic to improve, the team is a long way from being fully healthy. Mo Bamba (back spasms), Jalen Suggs (knee), Jonathan Isaac (knee), Chuma Okeke (knee) and Wendell Carter Jr. (plantar fascia) were still sidelined. Gary Harris also left tonight's game with a right hamstring injury in the first half and did not return.

It will take time for the Magic to heal and build chemistry and workable lineups, but tonight was a baby step in the right direction.

The Magic head back out on the road to face the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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Published Nov 30, 2022

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.