Dejounte Murray, a guard for the Atlanta Hawks, is one of many who is starting to see the Orlando Magic as a real threat.
There have been a few dogfights between the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic this season.
Three games between the division rivals have ended in overtime or on a single possession, including the Magic’s 106-104 setback Friday night in which Dejounte Murray hit the game-winning basket at the clock.
This year against the Magic, Murray has made the game-winning shot twice to put the Hawks ahead. Murray has respect for Orlando because of the close matches the clubs have had to contend with.
After the game, Murray remarked, “They’re a great team.” “My feelings for their coach were only love and respect. Every night, I see how he coached the entire forty-eight minutes. It’s not surprising that they are a developing squad because they have a number of young, gifted players.”
After losing yesterday night, Orlando is now 22-19 and is ranked ninth in the Eastern Conference. But the group has dropped eight games by a margin of two possessions or less. The Magic would have been in the top four in the East if they had won even half of those games, and they would have been right behind the Boston Celtics in first place if they had won all of those close games.
As Orlando continues to gain respect from other players in the league, they are becoming more and more of a target, and it won’t be long before people consider them to be among the best in the Eastern Conference.
The Philadelphia 76ers visit town tomorrow night, marking the Magic’s return to play. Kickoff is set for the Kia Center at 7 p.m. ET.
