Young overcomes neck injury, Hawks beat Magic 111-99

Updated Dec. 15, 2021 9:32 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla, (AP) — Trae Young played through a minor neck injury to score 28 points, John Collins had 21 points and 10 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Orlando Magic 111-99 on Wednesday night to end a two-game losing streak.

Young left for the locker room late in the third quarter after Cole Anthony hit him with a shoulder in the face on an offensive foul. Young was deemed to have a neck cramp and returned with 5:31 remaining after Orlando got to 104-84. He finished with four rebounds and four assists and made his only 3-pointer with 2:41 remaining.

Atlanta won its fifth consecutive road game — a feat made more impressive by the fact that it opened the season 1-8 away from home. The Hawks are the first team since the 2004-05 Philadelphia 76ers to follow up a seven-game road losing streak with a five-game winning streak away from home.

Lou Williams scored 14 points, and Cam Reddish added 13 points and three 3-pointers to help the Hawks beat the Magic for a second time this season and for the fifth straight time over the past two years. Atlanta bounced back from a 132-126 loss to Houston two nights earlier in which it surrendered 44 fourth-quarter points.

There was no such drama on Wednesday from an Orlando team that lost its sixth straight game, for the 12th time in the past 13 games and dropped to 2-9 at home. The Magic trailed by 10 in the first quarter, by as much as 23 early in the fourth quarter and never mounted much of a second-half charge.

Terrence Ross scored 18 points for Orlando. R.J. Hampton, who started his first game of the season in place of injured guard Gary Harris, scored 15 points. Anthony missed nine of his first 10 shots and finished with just seven points.

FOURTH-QUARTER FALTERINGS

One of the NBA’s best closing teams last season and during their stirring postseason run, the Hawks have struggled in that area so far. Already, Atlanta has blown four games in which it led after three periods — none more painful than Monday when Houston scored 44 points in the final period to rally past the Hawks.

“We were a good team last year finishing games,” coach Nate McMillan said. “We became a better fourth-quarter team with our execution (last season) and that’s something we have to do again. We have to understand time/score/situation and the urgency that needs to be played in fourth quarters.”

TIP-INS

Hawks: Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury sat courtside. … Young came into Wednesday as the NBA’s leader since the 2018-19 season in 30-point/10-assist games (37) and 20-point, 10-assist games (73).

Magic: Mo Bamba missed his second game — this time because of a sprained ankle — and Chuma Okeke got his first start. Said coach Jamahl Mosley of Bamba’s injury: “They tested it out a little bit and it was more tender than they expected, so we’ll just go day-by-day with him.” … Harris was scratched just before tipoff with hamstring tightness. … Jalen Suggs, who hasn’t played since Nov. 29, had his fractured right thumb reevaluated and Mosley said the rookie guard is “progressing.”

UP NEXT

Hawks: Host Denver on Friday night.

Magic: Host Miami on Friday night.