Magic Starting 5: Orlando Streak Snapped vs. Hawks

The Magic Insider lists five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant Orlando Magic news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 20, 2022

Magic Starting 5: Orlando Streak Snapped vs. Hawks /

1. MAGIC STREAK ENDS AFTER LOSS VS. HAWKS

"The Magic trailed by 12 points with just over three minutes to go in the fourth quarter when Hawks point guard Trae Young was assessed a technical foul.

"The Hawks were led by Young, who scored a game-high 37 points and dished out 13 assists. However, his technical foul prompted a massive momentum shift. The Magic scored 13 unanswered points after the technical, taking a one-point lead with just under four seconds to go."

2. PAOLO BANCHERO NOMINATED FOR POW

"Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero is beginning to get some positive attention from critics around the country.

"The No. 1 overall pick received his first nomination for Eastern Conference Player of the Week, according to a press release from the NBA."

3. WENDELL CARTER JR. RETURNING FRIDAY

"Carter last played on Nov. 18 in a win against his former Chicago Bulls, where he scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Before heading to the sidelines, Carter was averaging a career-best 16.6 points to go with 9.1 rebounds per game. He was also shooting 34.6 percent from the three-point line, another career mark for him."

4. POWER RANKINGS

"The winning ways have catapulted the Magic up two spots in this week's power rankings from Sports Illustrated. Orlando was No. 27 last week and now sits at 25."

5. NEXT MAGIC GAME

The Magic is back in action tomorrow night against the Houston Rockets at 8:00 p.m. You can watch in-market on Bally Sports Florida or out-of-market on NBA League Pass.

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Published Dec 20, 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.