ATLANTA — Keaton Wallace achieved his first career triple-double, guiding Atlanta to a 117-105 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday, which allowed the Hawks to level their four-game regular-season series and generate momentum ahead of the upcoming play-in tournament rematch.
Wallace posted 15 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds, making him the inaugural two-way player in Atlanta’s history to accomplish a triple-double. He also added five steals.
Numerous starters were rested as both teams prepared for the play-in tournament. The Hawks, holding the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, are scheduled to compete against No. 7 Orlando on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to the playoffs.
Terance Mann added 19 points for Atlanta.
The Hawks wrapped up the regular season with three straight wins, ending the Magic’s five-game winning streak.
Takeaways
Magic: Anthony Black recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Jonathan Isaac chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds. The only regular starters for Orlando were center Wendell Carter Jr. and forward Tristan da Silva.
Hawks: Rookie Zaccharie Risacher was the sole regular starter for Atlanta, contributing six points in nine minutes. Trae Young was one of five players rested on fan appreciation day.
Key Moment of Hawks beat Magic and performance of Keaton Wallace
After the first quarter ended in a 24-24 tie, the Hawks pulled ahead by scoring 13 consecutive points, taking a 37-24 lead early in the second quarter.
Key stat
Even though he did not participate in this game, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels led the NBA with 229 steals, averaging 3.0 steals per game, along with 443 deflections. Since Gary Payton recorded 231 steals for Seattle in the 1995–96 season, this is the most steals in a season. Chris Paul, who recorded 216 steals for New Orleans in the 2008–09 season, was the last player to reach 200 in a season.