Report: Dejounte Murray, Hawks to Face Paolo Banchero, Magic on Oct. 21 After Feud
The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic will meet in an early-season matchup on Oct. 21, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, which sets up a battle between Dejounte Murray and Paolo Banchero.
The two last faced off in a pro-am competition, which featured Murray embarrassing the 2022 No. 1 overall draft pick:
The two also exchanged words after the game:
Murray is heading into his first season with the Hawks after joining the team in a trade from the San Antonio Spurs.
The 25-year-old earned his first All-Star selection last year, setting career highs with 21.1 points, 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He joins Trae Young, creating an exciting backcourt that could help the Hawks compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Orlando is more of a long shot to contend this season after finishing 22-60 in 2021-22, the worst record in the East.
Banchero can help turn things around after he averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last year at Duke. A poll of ESPN insiders predicted the forward will win the league's Rookie of the Year award this year.
A strong game against the Hawks would certainly help his case as he builds momentum early in the 2022-23 season. Getting some revenge against Murray would also likely help him on a personal level as he tries to prove he belongs.
