Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic Prediction & Match Preview - March 3, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21

Evan Fournier (#10) of the Orlando Magic
Evan Fournier (#10) of the Orlando Magic

The Atlanta Hawks will continue their Florida road trip in the 2020-21 NBA to meet the Orlando Magic on Wednesday at the Amway Center.

The Atlanta Hawks split their recent back-to-back set with the Miami Heat as interim coach Nate McMillan took over the reins for the Hawks on Tuesday.

Former Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce was fired on Monday following a 99-109 loss to the Heat. With McMillan at the helm, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Miami Heat 94-80 on Tuesday to start off the new regime with a resounding victory.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic, who have lost four straight games, will have their task cut out against the Atlanta Hawks. The Orlando Magic are 13-22 on the season, with their playoff hopes fading very rapidly. To keep their slim postseason hopes alive, they will want to return to winning ways against the Atlanta Hawks.

Match Details

Fixture - Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic | 2020-21 NBA Season.

Date & Time - Wednesday, March 3; 8:00 PM ET (Monday, March 4; 6:30 AM IST).

Venue - Amway Center, Orlando, FL.

Atlanta Hawks Preview

The Atlanta Hawks are in a transition period, with a new coach taking over. However, with McMillan assuming the reins in an interim capacity, the Atlanta Hawks surged to a 122-114 win against the Boston Celtics before losing their next one, 109-121.

In the Atlanta Hawks' last outing, Trae Young had 18 points and ten assists, while John Collins chipped in with 17 points and seven rebounds; Clint Capella also had a decent outing, bagging ten points and 17 rebounds.

Key Player - Trae Young

Trae Young has been struggling with his shooting in his last three games. The Atlanta Hawks lost the first two of those contests, with Young making just 33.3 and 21.4% of his shots in the two games.

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter of the last game when Young broke out of his slump, scoring 13 straight points in the fourth quarter to make McMillan a winner on his debut as the Atlanta Hawks' new coach.

The Atlanta Hawks will hope for Young to continue that form against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup

G Trae Young, G Kevin Huerter, F Tony Snell, F John Collins, C Clint Capella.

Orlando Magic Preview

It hasn’t been a good season for the Orlando Magic despite Nikola Vucevic having another All-Star season. With the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, the Magic have very little hope of reaching the postseason though they are statistically not out of it just yet,

Despite their slump and recent indifferent form, the Atlanta Hawks will take the Orlando Magic lightly at their own peril. Playing under a new coach who is still finding his way, the Hawks could be surprised by the Orlando Magic if they do not bring their A-game to the fore.

Key Player - Nikola Vucevic

Nikola Vucevic’s strong performances in the past four games haven't resulted in wins for the Orlando Magic.

That’s because he has not received adequate support from the other players, but that may be tough for a team missing many of its first-team regulars.

For now, Vucevic has to continue doing much of the heavy lifting for the Orlando Magic.

In his last six games, Vucevic has averaged 29.7 points, 12 rebounds and 5.2 assists. All three numbers are higher than his season average, and he seems to be improving as the season wears on.

Vucevic’s season is sadly getting wasted, but the Orlando Magic forward-centre continues to plug away regardless of his team’s inability to win consistently.

Orlando Magic Predicted Lineup

G Michael Carter-Williams, G Evan Fournier, F Dwayne Bacon, F Nikola Vucevic, C Al-Farouq Aminu.

Hawks vs Magic Match Prediction

Evan Fournier (#10( of the Orlando Magic
Evan Fournier (#10( of the Orlando Magic

Nate McMillan is an excellent coach for this young Atlanta Hawks team. It’s possible that he could make them compete for a postseason berth. So the Orlando Magic game couldn't have come at a better time for McMillan.

The Magic have a couple of players like Terrence Ross and Evan Fournier, other than Vucevic, who could make life difficult for the Hawks. But with injuries plaguing the team, it looks difficult for the Orlando Magic to beat the Atlanta Hawks.

Where to watch the Hawks vs Magic game?

The game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic will be broadcast locally on FOX Sports Southeast Atlanta and FOX Sports Florida. The matchup will also be streamed live on the NBA League Pass.

Also Read: "It's definitely deflating, especially when you're playing poorly" - LeBron James on the LA Lakers missing players after Phoenix Suns loss.

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Edited by Bhargav