The first night of the NBA season already brought a little heat to the Southeast Division.
Paolo Banchero and Jalen Johnson had some words for each other at the end of the Magic-Hawks game 👀
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 22, 2026
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As Atlanta held on for a 132-125 win over Orlando at Kia Center on Wednesday night, the final horn set off a tense moment between Paolo Banchero and Jalen Johnson. The two forwards exchanged words after the buzzer, and teammates along with staffers quickly moved in to pull them apart.
What sparked it wasn’t immediately clear. Larry Brown Sports pointed to a rebound battle late in the game as a possible trigger. There was no immediate word on whether the league would take a look at the incident.
The edge at the end fit a game that never settled down for long. Banchero and Johnson both showed out in the opener, with the former Duke standouts giving their teams plenty to work with.
Banchero turned in a massive line for Orlando, finishing with 35 points on 10-of-12 shooting, seven rebounds and 10 assists. Johnson answered with 20 points and 14 rebounds for Atlanta.
The Hawks controlled stretches of the game, but the Magic kept swinging back. Orlando opened with a 33-28 lead after the first quarter, only for Atlanta to take a 72-62 advantage into halftime.
Then the Magic stormed back in the third, using a 20-7 edge at the free-throw line in the period to tighten things up. Back-to-back three-point plays from Goga Bitadze and Banchero helped Orlando take a 100-99 lead into the fourth.
Atlanta still had answers. A pivotal moment came with 4:27 remaining, when Johnson picked up what would have been his sixth foul on an offensive call. The Hawks challenged, the ruling was overturned after a lengthy review, and Johnson stayed in the game.
From there, Nickeil Alexander-Walker took control. He buried two three-pointers in the final two minutes, stretching a 122-121 lead to 128-123, and finished with 31 points. Dyson Daniels added 20 points and five steals, while CJ McCollum scored 19.
Orlando got 22 points apiece from Wendell Carter Jr. and Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane added 18. The defeat spoiled the debut of first-year Magic coach Sean Sweeney and pushed Atlanta’s winning streak over Orlando to six straight.
After the way this one ended, the next meeting should come with extra edge.
In Other News...
Quin Snyder May Already Have A New Hawks Closer
In the Hawks season opener against the Magic, Aaron Wiggins quickly found himself in the kind of role teams usually reserve for players they trust when the game tightens. Quin Snyder leaned on him for meaningful minutes throughout the night, a sign that the newcomer was not just filling space in the rotation but was already being treated like someone who could stay on the floor when it mattered.
Wiggins rewarded that trust with a steady two-way showing, mixing scoring with activity on the glass and in the passing lanes while knocking down shots from deep. For a Hawks team still sorting out its late-game identity this early in the season, the bigger question is how long this level of confidence from Snyder lasts and whether Wiggins can keep turning opportunity into a closing role. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Try To Stay Unbeaten With One Roster Question Looming
After opening the season with a win over Orlando, the Hawks head into their matchup with the Hornets with an early chance to build on that momentum. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels helped set the tone in the opener, and Atlanta has already shown enough to suggest its rotation can withstand a few bumps this early in the schedule.
The injury report, though, gives the Hawks one lingering roster wrinkle to sort through. Mouhamed Gueye and Henri Veesaar are both out, with Gueye still working back from a summer foot injury and Veesaar sidelined for the season, leaving Atlanta to keep juggling depth as it tries to stay unbeaten. [Read more 🡒]
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Is Giving The Hawks Something They Desperately Needed
Nickeil Alexander-Walker gave Atlanta exactly the kind of steady offensive lift it has been hunting for, and he did it at a time when the Hawks needed every bit of it. Against Orlando, he stepped into a bigger scoring role and helped push Atlanta to a win, with his teammates making sure he had the kind of support that let him stay aggressive throughout the night.
What stood out most was how he did it without trying to make more of it than it was. Alexander-Walker said he plans to keep being himself and keep his focus on the team, which is the kind of answer the Hawks can appreciate as they look for more nights like this one. The bigger question now is whether this is a one-off surge or the start of a more reliable option in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]