ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 32 points, Jalen Johnson added 18 points and 14 rebounds, and the Atlanta Hawks routed the Orlando Magic 130-101 on Wednesday night for their 17th victory in their last 19 games.
Dyson Daniels had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who shot 51% for the game and had a 52-36 rebound advantage. Johnson came two assists short of his 14th triple-double of the season.
The Hawks swept the season series
against the Magic 4-0 and now have a 3 1/2 game lead over Orlando in the Southeast Division with five games remaining — six for Orlando.
Jamal Cain led the Magic with 17 points off the bench. Desmond Bane and Wendell Carter Jr. added 14 points each.
Magic forward Franz Wagner scored 12 points in 20 minutes in his first game since Feb. 11. Wagner, who averaged 23.4 points on 55% shooting in the Magic’s first 23 games, has missed 47 of the last 52 games with a high ankle sprain.
The Hawks blew the game open with a 47-point second quarter in which they made 17 of 24 shots. Jonathan Kuminga's 3-pointer broke a 32-32 tie early in the quarter and Atlanta led the rest of the game, stretching the margin to 31 early in the second half.
Alexander-Walker scored 17 points in the period, and he was one of six players to score during a four-minute stretch in which Orlando went scoreless.
With 7:30 remaining in the game and the Hawks up 110-89, Magic center Goga Bitadze drew a flagrant foul 2 (and automatic ejection) for pulling Hawks center Jock Landale down by the shoulder. Daniels was given a technical foul for confronting Bitadze after the takedown.
Hawks: Play at Brooklyn on Friday night.
Magic: Play at Dallas on Friday night.
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