Bogdanovich scores 27 points, Hawks breeze past Magic
ATLANTA (AP) - Bogdan Bogdanovich scored 27 points, Trae Young added 18 and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Orlando Magic 116-93 on Thursday night for their third straight victory.
Clint Capela added 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks a day after they clinched their first playoff berth since 2016-17. Atlanta has the NBA’s longest active home winning streak at 10 games and has won 18 of its last 20 at State Farm Arena.
Beginning the night fourth in the Eastern Conference with a game remaining, the Hawks improved to 26-11 overall since March 1 — when Nate McMillan took over as interim head coach — the highest victory total in the East over that span.
Atlanta led 81-55 on John Collins’ straightaway 3, and the Magic never got within 17 in the second half. The lead swelled to 30 on Bogdanovich’s free throws midway through the third and was trimmed to 22 entering the fourth.
The Hawks, winning for the sixth in the last seven games, rested their starters in the fourth quarter.
R.J. Hampton led the Magic with 15 points.
Bogdanovich was 9 for 12 from the field, 4 for 7 on 3s.
HOME SWEET HOME
McMillan hammered home the importance of winning at home when he took charge of the team for the fired Lloyd Pierce.
"That was a challenge to the team when I took over, that at home we have to make this a tough opponent to come and play," McMillan said before the game. "Our guys have been able to do that."
TIP-INS
Magic: Orlando has dropped five in a row to fall to 21-49. ... The Magic are 10-24 on the road. ... C Mo Bamba missed his second straight game with an illness.
Hawks: Bogdanovich (right hamstring soreness), Capela (right heel pain), and F Danilo Gallinari (lower back soreness) were listed as questionable before the game. Bogdanovich and Capela started, and Gallinari had 10 points in 24 minutes. ... Young was listed as probable before the game with right hip soreness. ... Bogdanovich’s previous career-high of games of 20 or more points was set last year with Sacramento at 17. ... Capela, the NBA’s rebounding leader, had 13 boards in the first half.
UP NEXT
Magic: Visit Philadelphia on Friday.
Hawks: Host Houston on Sunday.