Orlando Magic Falls Short vs. Atlanta Hawks in Mexico City Behind Trae Young Heroics

The Orlando Magic couldn't grab a win late in Mexico City against the Atlanta Hawks.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 10, 2023

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Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic is heading back to the United States on a quiet flight after losing a 120-119 affair to the Atlanta Hawks at Arena CDMX in Mexico City.

Hawks point guard Trae Young was electric in the first half, dropping 33 points, but the Magic stayed in it by shooting 50 percent from the field and trailing by just four.

In the third quarter, the Magic took a step in the right direction, winning the quarter by nine and taking a five-point lead going into the fourth quarter ... but Orlando wasn't able to finish it off.

The opening tipoff between Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) and Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze (35) during the 2023 NBA Mexico City Game at the Arena CDMX / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Despite leading by as much as 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Magic was unable to finish the job. The game was tied with less than a minute to go, and Franz Wagner was able to give Orlando a two-point lead. But on the next possession, Young found an open Dejounte Murray in the corner, who knocked down the game-winning triple.

The Magic had one final possession, but Paolo Banchero was unable to knock down his 3-point look and Orlando couldn't get another look in the final seconds.

The loss puts the Magic back at .500, and the team will have to return to the drawing board with a difficult week ahead filled with a long road trip and a pair of In-Season Tournament Games.

But before that, the Magic is back in action Saturday when Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks come to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET inside the Amway Center.

Published Nov 10, 2023

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.