Hawks grab season-best 59 rebounds in win over Suns

The Hawks built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and maintained an advantage throughout. They scored 36 in the opening quarter, shooting 59% and making three of four three attempts.

As it’d turn out, it’s a good thing they held such an advantage early.

2. The Hawks couldn’t pull away because they were sloppy. They built a 20-point lead that Phoenix trimmed to nine during the fourth quarter. The Hawks committed 22 fouls and 19 turnovers, including nine by point guard Trae Young. It ultimately didn’t cost them, but they made mistakes that would’ve doomed them against better competition.

After going 8-for-22 in the first quarter (36%), the Suns shot 50%, 43% and 52% in each of the remaining quarters, respectively. They never found a rhythm from beyond the arc, however, going 7-for-30 on 3-point attempts.

It never reached a point where the game felt in doubt, but the Hawks were extremely underwhelming in a contest they should’ve won handily, especially after building such a sizable lead.

“We’re going to need to be sharper than that,” coach Nate McMillan said. “Nineteen turnovers in this game. Just playing loose with the basketball. We were able to score and do some good things, but we need to be sharper with our execution on both ends of the floor.”

3. The Hawks won because they had their best rebounding performance of the season. They grabbed 59 rebounds, outrebounding the Suns by 24. Hawks center Clint Capela led the way with 17 boards. Suns center Deandre Ayton, meanwhile, didn’t record a rebound until the 4:47 mark of the third quarter. Five Hawks had more rebounds than the Suns’ leading rebounder (Torrey Craig and Chris Paul each had five).

“It was great,” forward John Collins said. “I wish I could’ve picked up a couple more rebounds myself (he had two), but when CC has 17 of those things, they’re a little hard to come by. But it’s still great to see. … It’s a vital part to winning the game.”

4. The Hawks got received solid showings from their top three scorers. Collins, he of endless trade speculation, remained a Hawk through the trade deadline and provided 16 points Thursday. Collins also threw down a ferocious dunk in the first quarter for his highlight of the night.

Young scored 36 on 10-for-18 shooting with 12 assists and eight rebounds; a performance capped by two deep threes (and a three-point shooting foul) that helped the Hawks ice the game late. His backcourt running mate Dejounte Murray had 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting while adding eight rebounds and five assists.

5. The Hawks made a few modest acquisitions before Thursday’s trade deadline. They added wing Saddiq Bey in a three-team deal with the Pistons and Warriors, sending five second rounders to Golden State in the deal. They also acquired center Bruno Fernando and guard Garrison Mathews from Houston for Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky and two second-round picks in a cost-cutting transaction.

Bey, 23, gives the Hawks another forward with range. He averaged 14.8 points per game and shot 34.5% from three in 52 games with Detroit this season. Bey, in his third season, has seen his efficiency dip since he was a rookie, but Hawks general manager Landry Fields expressed a belief that Bey can rediscover his finest form.

Stat to know

59 - The Hawks secured 59 rebounds. They averaged 43.6 rebounds per game entering Thursday. Their previous season best was 54, achieved three times.

Quotable

“We got some good new pieces, for sure.” – Trae Young on the Hawks’ trade-deadline activity

Up next

The Hawks host the lowly Spurs (14-41) on Saturday. San Antonio has lost 10 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 20. The Hawks’ new acquisitions, who are expected to report Friday, could be available.