The Hawks hosted a young Trail Blazers team that had seven veteran players absent. But they took advantage and handed the Blazers a 120-106 loss Wednesday night.
Here are five observations:
1. Though the Trail Blazers had so many veterans out due to various injuries, the Hawks had theirs to lean on. Dejounte Murray set the tone with an efficient night from the floor, scoring 30.
He got to his spots, hitting all of his long jumpers from midrange, going 3-of-3 on baskets between 10 to 15 feet. He made all but one of his five attempts in the third quarter as the Hawks got out to a 15-point lead, their largest by that point of the night.
Murray also had seven assists that netted the Hawks 16 of their points.
“His efficiency tonight was just terrific,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “I thought picking spots, you know, you got 20 shots which were 20 great shots, and he set people up. He’s getting mad at his teammates when they don’t shoot.”
2. Murray’s teammate Garrison Mathews confirmed that he gets an earful when he doesn’t shoot the ball. But it has paid off for Mathews, who scored 21 and has scored 20 or more in two of the last three games.
Mathews rarely hesitated on Wednesday and when he did, it ended up hitting the rim. But Mathews made five of his nine (a season-high) attempts from deep and has leaned into taking more attempts as Murray and the Hawks coaching staff encourage him to let it fly.
Before the All-Star Break, Mathews averaged 2.3 attempts from deep per game but that number has increased to 3.1 after the team returned.
3. For the third straight game the Hawks had strong output from its reserves, especially Dylan Windler. He went 4-of-4 from the floor and knocked down all 3 of his attempts from deep in his first 11 minutes of action. His career-high in points before Wednesday’s game was 15 points and he looked on pace to reach.
But cooled off when he returned to the floor for his second stint in the second half, missing his next two shots from deep. He finished with 11 points.
The Hawks signed Windler at the beginning of the month and he has had spot minutes before the last three games. But he’s played 15 or minutes in two of his last three outings and has capitalized on them.
“He’s had some tough injuries through his career,” Mathews said. “And hopefully he’s found a home. I know him very well because we played a lot against each other in college. But it’s fun to play on the same team now.”
3. Though the Hawks eventually got the game under control, they could not find an answer for Dalano Banton. The Trail Blazers acquired Banton at the Feb. 8 trade deadline and he has grown in the time since.
Banton scored a career-high 31 points, cutting to the basket, hitting contested shots from deep and getting out in transition. It’s the second time in two days that Banton has scored 25 or more points.
4. Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson and third-year guard Ashton Hagans had solid outings as they both returned home to Atlanta.
Henderson, who has had an up-and-down season, scored 15 points but worked for every single one of his 16 shot attempts. The rookie made just two of his seven field goals in the first half, as he hunted for shots while the Hawks made him uncomfortable.
Hagans scored 10 points, knocking down both of his attempts from 3.
5. With their win, the Hawks continued solidifying their spot as the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls downed the Pacers in their matchup and maintain their 1 1/2-game lead on the Hawks. The Nets remain 5 1/2 games behind the Hawks.
Stat to know
1,100 -- Bogdan Bogdanovic buried his 1,100th career 3-pointer Wednesday night.
Quotable
“When they pass me the ball, they expect me to shoot. (Murray) does get (upset) if pass one up and it speaks to him as a willing passer, leader. It’s what we need.” -- Garrison Mathews on who’s in his ear pushing him to shoot.
Up next
The Hawks have a quick turnaround and return to the court Thursday to host the Celtics for a second meeting in three games.
