Jamahl Mosley describes the struggles of defending Tree Young after the Hawks’ win

The The Orlando Magic fell to 1-1 on the season after falling 111-107 to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, with the head coach Jamahl Mosley highlighting the challenge of content star guardian Trae Young down the stretch.

Young controlled the tempo late, showing his trademark skill and ability to draw fouls when Orlando tried to tighten up the defense. Mosley addressed the frustration that comes with defending players of Young’s skill level, especially in clutch situations.

“He’s gone downhill quickly down the stretch because of his ability to knock down shots, so you have to press up there,” Mosley said. “Then the last few where he goes downhill and gets on the dime and you’re stuck in a spot where you’re trying not to foul, but he’s taking away your space and they give him that call … so it’s tough. You’re trying to defend him without fouling, without giving up an easy layup, but he’s such a shifty player that he can stop the shot, you know how to get him in the shot and you know how to get him you throw in the throw. that call so it’s hard to defend it that way.”

Franz Wagner leads the Magic as the Hawks rally behind Tree Young’s late hero

Young finished with 25 points, six assists, three steals and a rebound while shooting 7-for-18 from the field and 10-for-12 from the free throw line. Although he struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just one of six attempts, his execution late in the game proved too much for Orlando.

The Magic controlled much of the first half but faltered down the stretch, undone by turnovers and missed free throws in the final minutes. Franz Wagner again led the team offensively, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds and two assists while shooting 10-for-17 from the field.

Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bain, however, struggled to find a rhythm. Banchero finished with 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting, including 0-for-5 from three-point range, with six rebounds and one assist in 36 minutes. Bain added 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals, but shot just 5-for-14 from the field and 1-for-7 from deep in 33 minutes.

Despite the loss, Orlando saw another strong performance from second-year forward Tristan da Silvawho provided energy off the bench with 15 points, six rebounds and three steals on efficient shooting. His contributions helped keep the Magic at bay as of late.

The Magic will look to regroup and end their three-game homestand on a positive note when they host the Chicago Bulls (1-0) on Saturday night at 7:00 PM ET. Meanwhile, the The Hawks return to Atlanta to host the reigning NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0) on Sunday.