The Hawks did some decent work in the middle of Wednesday’s game against the Raptors, but not enough to make up for what happened at the beginning and the end against a deep team that may be the NBA’s best.
On a night when Al Horford was efficient with 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a pair of blocked shots and Jeff Teague kept his foot on the gas with 24 points and 12 assists, the Raptors (13-2) gashed the Hawks’ defense in a 34-24 first quarter, and with a 17-10 closing edge.
That wasn’t a complete surprise. Toronto entered as the NBA’s third highest-scoring team (106.7 points per game).
But that first quarter, in which DeMar DeRozan scored 14 of his 27 points while making all five of his shots, was a mess for the Atlanta defense.
The Raptors have several talented scorers, and a couple of them came off the bench to do serious damage. Former Hawk guard Lou Williams, now a reserve for Toronto, scored seven of his 22 in the period.
Toronto made 10-of-16 shots in the first quarter, and earned their way to 13 of their 33 free throws. They made 11 in that stanza.
That’s the Raptors’ way: attack.
“All their guards can put it on the floor, make shots, change a game,” Teague said. “[Forward] Terrence Ross is capable of going for 50. Lou is a big-time scorer, [Greivis] Vasquez tonight was a big-time scorer [off the bench], and you know DeRozan is a big-time scorer.
“They have multiple guards who can do multiple things. They’re aggressive.”
Teague was that way for the Hawks, who closed to within 64-61 by halftime with a 37-point quarter of their own. He scored 14 points in just 8:41 in the second period, making all three of his shots – including a 3-pointer – and seven free throws.
Atlanta didn’t go away so much as the Raptors pulled away. The Hawks’ 115 points were a season high in regulation.
Still trailing by three at the start of the fourth quarter after tying the game three times in the third, the Hawks’ last real shot came after Kyle Korver blocked a DeRozan shot, and was fouled by the Raptor.
Two free throws pulled Atlanta within 109-105 with 4:45 to go.
Problem was, again, the Raptors have so many options.
Williams soon hit a 3-pointer – one of 14 by Toronto – and then picked off a Korver pass and added a pair of free throws after Teague fouled him.
Oh, and in the first 3:25 of the last quarter, Vasquez scored 12 straight Raptors points. He hit three consecutive 3-pointers in that stretch on his way to a season-high 21 points.
“For a lot of the night, we were good, but you have to be good for 48 minutes against a good team,” said Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer. “What did they have, 126 points? It’s hard not to consider it a step back defensively.”
Pushing Toronto, the Teague-like Kyle Lowry pitched in 14 points and 13 assists.
The Raptors kept coming from all angles.
“They have very crafty players. Lou is a guy who knows how to play, how to draw fouls,” Horford said. “Kyle Lowry is a guy who always goes hard and that makes them tough to guard.”
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