Atlanta, GA
Beede’s Breakdown: How Magic came up short at Atlanta
ATLANTA — More than two months ago in Mexico City, Atlanta‘s Dejounte Murray hit a game-winner to lift the Hawks over the Magic.
It happened again Wednesday night at State Farm Arena when Murray’s buzzer-beater pushed Atlanta past Orlando 106-104, just seconds after Paolo Banchero nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game.
The Magic, who forced 23 turnovers in the loss, finished 1-3 on their trip and fell to 22-19 at the halfway mark of their season.
Aiming to get back on track, Orlando returns to Kia Center for a matchup with the 76ers on Friday (Bally Sports Florida, 7).
Starting 5
Coach Jamahl Mosley stuck with his same opening lineup — guards Jalen Suggs and Caleb Houstan plus forwards Banchero and Chuma Okeke along with center Goga Bitadze — that he used throughout the four-game trip.
Suggs was tasked with defending Atlanta’s Trae Young when on the court together. In addition to chasing Young (18 points in 39 minutes) around the floor, Suggs was efficient shooting the ball.
Totaling 16 points, he shot 3 of 3 from beyond the arc to finish 6 of 7 from the floor.
Banchero (8 of 25 on field goals) led the way with 26 and did a good job of attacking the basket. That forced fouls and got him to the free throw line (9 of 11).
In the 2-point loss, however, Orlando missed 6 free throws (16 of 22).
Bitadze was a rebounding machine for the Magic, especially on the offensive glass. There he grabbed 7 boards that led to extra opportunities for Orlando, which scored 25 second-chance points.
Okeke (0 of 4) and Houstan (1 of 7) failed to find their shot from 3-point range. Okeke, however, helped defend Murray and continued to offer high-quality defense by recording 3 steals, 7 rebounds and a block.
Franz Wagner (right ankle sprain) missed his seventh straight game but Mosley mentioned before the game that he’s expected back “sooner than later.”
Second Unit
Although he used 11 players at Atlanta, Mosley relied on a 10-man rotation throughout the majority of the game as guards Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony while forwards Jonathan Isaac and Joe Ingles plus center Wendell Carter Jr. came off the bench.
Fultz (10 points) played the most minutes (30) since he’s returned to the floor after he missed 27 games due to left knee tendinitis. He pushed the pace and defended at a high level with 3 steals despite picking up his fifth foul late.
Carter (18 points) nailed his first pair of triples and finished 3 of 4 on 3-pointers in 24 minutes.
He added 2 steals and a block while both he and Fultz closed out the game on the floor over Bitadze and Houstan.
Isaac was extremely active on the defensive end, wrecking havoc in the paint. Although he recorded no blocks, he often impacted shots and jumped ahead of passes from Atlanta for 2 steals in 10 minutes.
Guard Gary Harris (right calf strain) also sat out his seventh straight game.
Rookie Watch
After not getting on the floor against the Knicks on Monday, 6-7 guard Anthony Black checked in for only a single defensive possession at Atlanta in the final 6.1 seconds of the first quarter.
As the Magic have gotten healthy, especially with Fultz back in the fold, Mosley has re-worked his rotations and that forced Black to the bench for the second game in a row.
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on X, known as Twitter, at @therealBeede.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta man convicted of abusing minors while stationed abroad
ATLANTA – An Atlanta man faces a potential life sentence after a federal jury found him guilty of terrorizing two young children during his military service abroad.
What we know:
A federal jury found 39-year-old Adam Schlueter guilty on Friday following a four-day trial. He was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 12 and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Schlueter was stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany, from 2009 until 2013 while enlisted in the Army. During this time, prosecutors say he physically, emotionally, and sexually abused two victims who were under the age of 10.
Both victims testified during the trial that Schlueter beat and choked them. One victim recalled an incident at age 8 where Schlueter pushed him through a second-story window and dangled him above the ground. Evidence also showed Schlueter threatened victims and witnesses who spoke about his crimes.
What they’re saying:
“When he should have been honorably defending our country with the utmost integrity, Schlueter instead spent years terrorizing his young victims through physical and sexual abuse,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said. “Excellent work by the prosecutors and investigators assigned to this case will ensure that Schlueter is suitably punished for his wickedness.”
What’s next:
Schlueter is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9. He faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years of imprisonment for each of the aggravated sexual abuse convictions and may be sentenced to life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower are prosecuting the case, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from federal prosecutors with the Northern District of Georgia following the conclusion of a four-day federal trial.
Atlanta, GA
Philadelphia Phillies lose fifth straight game to end homestand, swept by Atlanta Braves
Michael Harris II homered and had three hits as the streaking Atlanta Braves defeated the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep of their NL East rivals.
Ozzie Albies hit an RBI double and Austin Riley also drove in a run for the Braves, who have won five in a row and nine of 11. It was Atlanta’s first series sweep of at least three games at Philadelphia in 10 years.
Kyle Schwarber went deep for the Phillies, who have lost five straight and 10 of 13. They were outscored 56-33 on a 2-7 homestand against the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Braves, leaving Philadelphia 6 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the division standings.
Raisel Iglesias escaped trouble in the ninth inning for his fifth save. Philadelphia put runners on first and second with one out, but Trea Turner struck out and Schwarber lined out to right field on an excellent running catch by Ronald Acuña Jr.
Tyler Kinley (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win.
Schwarber’s two-run shot in the first gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.
Harris homered leading off the third before the Braves went ahead in the fifth with three runs against rookie starter Andrew Painter (1-1) and lefty reliever Tim Mayza.
Painter was lifted after he opened the inning by allowing singles to Harris and Acuña. Mayza loaded the bases with a walk, and the Braves tied the game on Matt Olson’s groundout. Riley’s dribbler to third went for an RBI infield single, and Albies’ double to the left-field wall made it 4-2.
Riley saved at least one run while ending a Philadelphia threat in the bottom of the fifth with a stellar defensive play at third base.
Braves starter Grant Holmes allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings.
On a chilly night, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto sat out after leaving Saturday’s game with lower back tightness.
Up next
Braves: Begin a four-game series Monday night at Washington. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 0.77 ERA) opposes Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (1-2, 6.16).
Phillies: Open seven-game trip Monday night with the first of four games against the Cubs. RHP Aaron Nola (1-4, 4.03 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 3.63).
Atlanta, GA
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