Atlanta @ Orlando preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 30, 2019 ) Atlanta 101, Orlando 93

The Orlando Magic were nine games under .500 at this point last season and won 20 of 29 down the stretch to earn an Eastern Conference playoff spot for the first time in seven years. The Magic own an identical record with 29 games left in 2019-20 and sit in eighth place in the East as they try to snap out of a prolonged slump Monday night against the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

Orlando remains in a playoff position due to the weakness of bottom nine teams in the conference, having lost eight of its last nine contests - capped by a 111-95 setback against the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday at home. “I don’t know if we’ll make a similar run but we can play better,” Magic coach Steve Clifford told reporters after the loss to the Bucks. “You want to make the playoffs and be playing in a manner where you can play well, and that to me is what these games are for. But we need to make progress, particularly offensively.” The Hawks are only 2 ½ games above the NBA-worst Golden State Warriors, but they have won five of the last 10 games after pulling out a 140-135 victory over the New York Knicks in double overtime Sunday night. Trae Young returned to the lineup for Atlanta after missing the previous game with an ankle injury and responded with 48 points and 13 assists Sunday as the Hawks rallied from eight points down in the final 90 seconds of the first overtime.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: FS Southeast, FS Florida

ABOUT THE HAWKS (15-39): Young pushed his season average to 29.7 points by shooting 13-of-30 from the field - 6-of-13 from 3-point range - on Sunday and scored 39 against the Magic in a 103-99 victory on Oct. 26. Forward John Collins had 32 points along with 16 rebounds in the victory over the Knicks for his seventh consecutive double-double, during which he has averaged 26 points and 13.1 boards. Rookie forward De’Andre Hunter added 19 points in Sunday’s victory and is averaging 15 over the past six games while guard Kevin Huerter is scoring 19 per outing in February after pouring in 16 against the Knicks.

ABOUT THE MAGIC (22-31): Center Nikola Vucevic recorded his second double-double in three games with 21 points and 14 rebounds against Milwaukee and leads the team in scoring (18.8) and rebounds (10.9). Guard Evan Fournier is averaging 18.6 points and has been on target from 3-point range of late, draining 15-of-28 in his last four games, while wing shooter Terrence Ross scored 20 on Saturday - his most in eight games. Forward Aaron Gordon scored just seven on 2-of-12 from the field versus Milwaukee after averaging 19.8 points in the previous four games to boost his season mark to 13.7.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Hawks have won both meetings this season, including a 101-93 victory at Orlando on Dec. 30 without Young in the lineup.

2. Orlando F James Ennis III (5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds), who was acquired from Philadelphia on Thursday, could make his team debut Monday.

3. Atlanta F Vince Carter has drained 2,276 shots from 3-point range and is six from tying Jason Terry for fifth in NBA history.

PREDICTION: Magic 112, Hawks 106