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Alexander-Walker Scores 31 as Hawks Beat Magic 132-125 in Opener

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 31 points and hit two three-pointers in the final 90 seconds as Atlanta outlasted Orlando in a season opener with 22 lead changes, spoiling Paolo Banchero's 35-point night.

By Orbit Post2 min read
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Alexander-Walker Scores 31 as Hawks Beat Magic 132-125 in Opener

Key points

  • Orlando and Atlanta opened their seasons with a game that would not sit still.
  • Alexander-Walker scored 31 points for Atlanta.
  • Orlando started faster and led 33-28 after the first quarter.

Orlando and Atlanta opened their seasons with a game that would not sit still. The Hawks beat the Magic 132-125 on Wednesday night at Kia Center, closing out a game with 22 lead changes behind Nickeil Alexander-Walker's shooting in the final 90 seconds.

Alexander-Walker scored 31 points for Atlanta. He shot 8 of 15 from the field, made five of his eight three-point attempts and went 10 of 13 at the free throw line. With Orlando within two points in the final minute, he hit a three-pointer, then another from 25 feet with 51.4 seconds left to make it 128-123, and the Hawks finished the job at the line.

The lead kept changing hands

Orlando started faster and led 33-28 after the first quarter. Atlanta answered with a 44-point second quarter and took a 72-62 lead into halftime. The Magic won the third quarter 38-27 to move back in front, 100-99, and the teams traded the lead deep into the fourth before Alexander-Walker's late threes settled it.

Atlanta scored 60 points in the paint to Orlando's 50 and shot 49 percent from the field. Orlando's undoing was the ball itself: the Magic committed 20 turnovers, and the Hawks turned them into 24 points.

Banchero's big night comes up short

Paolo Banchero was brilliant in defeat. He scored 35 points in 41 minutes on 10 of 12 shooting, went 12 of 16 at the free throw line and added 10 assists and seven rebounds. His six turnovers were part of Orlando's problem, but the Magic would not have been close without him.

Franz Wagner scored 22 points with six rebounds and five assists for Orlando. Wendell Carter Jr. added 22 points and seven rebounds on 8 of 10 shooting, and Desmond Bane finished with 18 points. Tristan da Silva scored 14 off the bench.

For Atlanta, Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points with three three-pointers in his first game for the Hawks. Onyeka Okongwu finished with eight points and seven assists, and Jock Landale added 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting.

What comes next

Orlando played without Jonathan Isaac, who is out with a knee injury, and Anthony Black, who has an ankle injury. There was history in the matchup as well: the last time the teams met, in April, a foul by Orlando center Goga Bitadze injured Landale on a shot under the basket and cost him Atlanta's entire first-round playoff series.

Atlanta visits the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, October 23. Orlando hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves the same night.

Timeline

  1. Oct 21, 2026Orlando leads 33-28 after the first quarter at Kia Center, but Atlanta scores 44 points in the second quarter to lead 72-62 at halftime.
  2. Oct 21, 2026The Magic win the third quarter 38-27 to lead 100-99 in a game that sees 22 lead changes.
  3. Oct 21, 2026Nickeil Alexander-Walker hits two three-pointers in the final 90 seconds and Atlanta wins the season opener 132-125.
  4. Oct 23, 2026Atlanta visits the Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Sources