- Orlando Magic eliminated Atlanta Hawks with a dominant 120:95 win and will face Boston Celtics in the first playoff round
- Cole Anthony led the way with 26 points, 13 of which came in the final quarter
- Atlanta will play in another play-in round for a shot at the 8th seed after falling short in Orlando
Key Takeaways:
Orlando Magic eliminated the Atlanta Hawks with a 120:95 home win and will begin their playoff quarterfinal series on Sunday away to the Boston Celtics. For the losing team, the story is not over, as the Hawks will compete in a second play-in elimination round against the winner of the Chicago Bulls – Miami Heat pairing for a chance to qualify as the eighth seed.
Cole Anthony scored 26 points, with 13 of them coming in the decisive fourth quarter. The Magic took care of business at home, winning 120:95 to secure a Sunday visit to Boston, Massachusetts.
WAGIC WIN 🪄 pic.twitter.com/VakvF8HbPg
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 16, 2025
Wendell Carter Jr. added 19 points, while Paolo Banchero finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Anthony Black came off the bench and was the game’s highest-scoring reserve with 16 points.
“This was a game where the entire team gave its all from start to finish. Every guy showed leadership in his role today. We stuck to our game plan and got the result,” said a satisfied head coach Jamahl Mosley after the game.
Trae Young led Atlanta with 28 points — the most in the game — but also committed multiple personal fouls and had to leave the court at one point. Despite the defeat, Atlanta heads back to Georgia with another shot at reaching the postseason, while Orlando now moves on to the main playoff bracket to face Boston.
After the hosts scored 18 of the last 20 points at the end of the first quarter to go up 32:17, Atlanta slowly worked their way back into the game. By tightening up defensively and improving their shooting, they cut the gap to six points at 79:73, and later brought it down to three following a three-pointer from Georges Niang. But a dunk by Carter Jr. restored some breathing room. In the fourth quarter, Carter Jr. and Anthony Black took full control, hitting back-to-back threes early in the period to spark an 8-point run.