Nickeil Alexander-Walker delivered one of his most efficient offensive performances of the season Wednesday night, scoring 32 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 130-101 victory over the Orlando Magic at Kia Center.
Atlanta controlled the game with balanced scoring and rebounding, winning its 17th game in the last 19 outings. The Hawks improved to 43-33 and strengthened their position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Alexander-Walker shot 11-of-16 from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point range while adding five rebounds. His scoring burst helped Atlanta maintain offensive rhythm during a decisive second-quarter run.
Jalen Johnson contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds while finishing two assists short of what would have been his 14th triple-double of the season. The forward also recorded eight assists and anchored the Hawks’ rebounding advantage throughout the game.
Dyson Daniels added 15 points and 13 rebounds, giving Atlanta another double-double. The guard’s activity on the glass helped the Hawks finish with a 52-36 rebounding edge.
Atlanta shot 51 percent from the field and generated consistent offense through ball movement and transition opportunities. The team finished with 27 assists and placed five starters in double figures.
The game turned in the second quarter when Atlanta erupted for 47 points. The Hawks made 17 of their 24 shots in the period and transformed a 32-32 tie into a double-digit lead that Orlando never recovered from.
Jonathan Kuminga’s three-pointer early in the quarter gave Atlanta its first separation. The Hawks extended the lead to as many as 31 early in the second half.
Alexander-Walker scored 17 points during the second-quarter surge. Orlando also went scoreless for roughly four minutes during that stretch while six different Atlanta players contributed to the scoring run.
Orlando struggled offensively against Atlanta’s defensive pressure and perimeter defense. The Magic shot 40 percent from the field and just 6-of-32 from three-point range.
Jamal Cain led Orlando with 17 points off the bench. Desmond Bane and Wendell Carter Jr. each added 14 points.
Franz Wagner returned to the lineup for the first time since Feb. 11 and finished with 12 points in 20 minutes. The forward had missed 47 of Orlando’s previous 52 games due to a high ankle sprain after averaging 23.4 points through the first 23 games of the season.
A late-game incident added tension when Magic center Goga Bitadze was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and ejected after pulling Hawks center Jock Landale down by the shoulder with 7:30 remaining. Daniels received a technical foul after confronting Bitadze following the play.
The Hawks also completed a season sweep of Orlando, winning all four meetings between the Southeast Division rivals.
Atlanta now holds a 3½-game lead over the Magic in the division with five games remaining for the Hawks and six for Orlando.
Atlanta travels to Brooklyn on Friday night, while Orlando heads to Dallas for its next game.
