Trae Young Lifts Hawks Past Magic

The Atlanta Hawks rallied to a season-opening 111-107 victory at the Orlando Magic despite missing Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher. Trae Young led the way with a game-high 25 points, including 11 in the final six minutes to seal the win. Dyson Daniels made a critical defensive play in the closing seconds, chasing Desmond Bane off the 3-point line and forcing a dump pass to Paolo Banchero that preserved Atlanta’s late lead. Onyeka Okongwu started at center with Mouhamed Gueye or N'Faly Dante expected to receive extra minutes in Porzingis' absence. Early-season metrics and analysts flagged Atlanta’s struggles in transition defense, rebounding and overall defensive efficiency, and many pundits had favored Orlando because of its size and defense.