The Hawks snapped their four-game skid with a 126-125 win over the Raptors on Sunday at State Farm Arena.
Here are five observations.
1. Hawks coach Quin Snyder praised forward Saddiq Bey’s mental toughness ahead of their matchup against the Raptors he put it on full display. He crashed the glass with 1.3 seconds to play to seal the Hawks 126-125 win.
Bey had a career-high seven offensive boards and scored eight second-chance points. He played through contact, drawing three and-1 opportunities, cashing in on one of them. He ended the night with a career-high 15 free-throw attempts.
In one of his strongest nights in a Hawks uniform, he scored a season-high 26 points and had 13 rebounds. It’s the third time in his career he has had at least 25 points and 10 rebounds.
“Yeah, I felt that Saddiq was everywhere on the glass, tonight offensively even creating opportunities for himself,” Hawks center Clint Capela said. “So yeah, they were kind of small. They were also too small for Saddiq.”
2. The Hawks led the Raptors 118-112 with 3:23 to play in Sunday’s game at State Farm Arena. They fell into a two-minute scoring drought and the Raptors regained the lead after Gary Trent scored a 3 from the wing.
But the Hawks found a spark after Capela grabbed a rebound and pushed it far ahead and Bogdan Bogdanovic corralled the pass before finding Trae Young. The Hawks guard banked in a floater with 26.1 still to play.
Capela forced a stop in the post, cutting off Raptors forward Scottie Barnes’ look at the rim. But the Raptors forced a turnover and rookie Gradey Dick picked off Young’s pass as he tried to save the ball in bounds. The Raptors wing found teammate Barnes for a dunk that put them up 125-124 with 7.4 seconds to play.
The Hawks stayed the course and staved off the Raptors on Bey’s tip in dunk.
“We talked about in the huddle that I was gonna go and just try to create and get downhill, but we needed to crash because they’re gonna contest my shot and we’re gonna have an opportunity to rebound,” Young said. “So now it’s worked out perfectly for us.”
3. With Dejounte Murray out with right hamstring tightness for Sunday’s game, it opened up room for someone to step up. The Hawks top six rotational players all scored in double figures with four of the team’s starters putting up double-doubles.
Young had 30 points and 12 assist, Capela chipped in 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Jalen Johnson added 17 points and 12 rebounds.
It the fifth time this season the Hawks have had at least four players end the day with a double-double in the same game. It’s the most such games by any team in the NBA in a single season since the 1978-79 Detroit Pistons (five) and the most by the Hawks since 1968-69 (six), according to Elias Sports Bureau.
“I told the guys, ‘this is how it’s supposed to be like starters set the tone’ you know?” Capela said.
4. The starters not only set the tone, but they also set an example with making big defensive plays that swung the game in favorable ways.
Young drew two charges in tonight’s win, marking 10 drawn charges this season. He and Capela are tied for 10 offensive fouls drawn to lead the team. The two veterans have a side competition going this season to see who could draw the most offensive fouls this year.
Hawks wing Garrison Mathews has eight drawn charges this season to help the Hawks to the top three teams in offensive fouls drawn this season. The Hawks rank third behind the Warriors and the Mavericks.
5. With Murray out for the game, the Hawks bumped Bogdan Bogdanovic into the starting lineup. Bogdanovic gave the starters a boost in scoring, with 24 points, with four 3-pointers but the team’s reserves sorely missed his presence.
Though the Hawks led by eight after the first quarter, the Raptors bench dug into the lead very quickly and two minutes into the second frame, they led 37-36. They charged out on a 27-7 run after their reserves outscored the Hawks 26-7 with 6:52 to play in the second quarter.
By the end of the night, the Raptors bench outscored the Hawks reserves 56-10, the fourth time in five games.
Stat to know
4 -- It’s the fourth time this season the Hawks have grabbed at least 20 offensive boards.
Quotable
“Obviously the putback by Saddiq, I think is emblematic of who he is as a person and as a player.” -- Quin Snyder on Saddiq Bey’s game winner
Up Next
The Hawks host the Lakers on Tuesday.
