The big news before the Orlando Magic took on the Atlanta Hawks was the insertion of Glen Davis into their starting lineup.
Then they went out and did something truly big, even if Big Baby didn't have all that huge of a game.
The Magic posted their first road win of the season and their first regular-season victory in Atlanta in exactly four years with a 109-92 whipping of the Hawks, who were one of only three Eastern Conference teams with a winning record. Aided by their highest-scoring third quarter of the season, the Magic built a double-digit lead and were never threatened over the final 12 minutes.
Arron Afflalo topped the Magic in scoring for the ninth time in 14 games with 26 points. Rookie Victor Oladipo picked up four fouls in the first half but overcame that to finish with 18 points, including a spectacular driving dunk in the fourth quarter which resulted in a three-point play.
Andrew Nicholson (18 points) and E’Twaun Moore (12 points) also provided a spark off the bench.
Davis made his first start of the season in his third game back from a foot injury, which required two operations. Tobias Harris was scheduled to start, but his left ankle gave him problems during warm-ups. Davis finished with eight points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes.
The Magic had defeated the Hawks 93-76 the night of Nov. 26, 2009, although they also won twice in Atlanta during the 2010 conference semifinals. Their most recent regular-season victory over the Hawks came in Orlando on Nov. 8, 2010.
The Magic outscored the Hawks 18-6 over the final 4:47 of the third quarter. The run began when Jameer Nelson, who had gone 0 of 7 from the floor up to that point, broke a 67-67 tie with a 3-pointer.
Afflalo kept the Magic close in the first half by sinking all three of his 3-point attempts. He's now averaging 21.9 points a game for the season.
Hawks guard Kyle Korver has now gone 88 consecutive games with making at least 3-pointer. The NBA record is 89 by Dana Barros. All six of Korver's shots came from long range, with his only make coming in the second quarter.
Wednesday night vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m. (FOX Sports Florida).
You can follow Ken Hornack on Twitter @HornackFSFla or email him at khornack32176@gmail.com.
