The NBA might have canceled Magic City Night, but it seems nothing can stop the Atlanta Hawks' momentum right now. On Monday, the Hawks extended their winning streak to ten games with a decisive 124-112 victory over the Orlando Magic, who themselves had been on a hot streak.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the star of the show, dropping a career-high 41 points with impressive shooting from deep, hitting 9 of his 15 attempts from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Jalen Johnson continued his breakout season with a stellar triple-double performance, tallying 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists. This marks his 13th triple-double of the season, underscoring his evolution into a key player for the Hawks.
Originally, the game was supposed to feature Magic City Night, a nod to Atlanta's famous Magic City strip club. While the NBA put the kibosh on the official event, the spirit of celebration lingered with fans enjoying the club’s renowned lemon pepper wings and a halftime show by T.I.
Atlanta's current ten-game run is the longest active streak in the league. Just a few weeks ago, things looked bleak for the Hawks as they were sliding down the Eastern Conference standings, posting a 14-23 record from December through late February.
However, this recent surge has been driven by a revitalized defense. During the streak, the Hawks are allowing just 104.8 points per game, a significant improvement from the 118.6 points they were conceding earlier in the season. In fact, they've held opponents under 100 points four times in this stretch-matching their total from the first 58 games.
As the playoffs loom, Atlanta is hitting its stride at just the right moment. The NBA might have rained on Magic City Night, but slowing down these Hawks is proving to be a much tougher task.