Sunday night’s double-overtime thriller in Atlanta ended with a 140-135 victory for the Hawks over the New York Knicks.
The young Hawks were tested many times throughout the evening. While the Trae Young-led squad looked dead in the water, they found a way to persevere. After a season featuring many close games ending in losses, Atlanta is happy for this one.
“It feels good to win,” Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce said.
Young had another stellar game as he recorded yet another double-double 48 points and 13 assists. But his game was just a reason for the Hawks winning this one.
But in the first half, forward John Collins carried the offense. When Young was not scoring, Collins provided timely buckets to pull the Hawks within striking distance. He also finished with a double-double recording 32 pts and 16 rebounds.
Recently acquired center Dewayne Dedmon provided a jolt off the bench in his team debut this past Saturday night. His defensive effort and shot-making ability proved to be a difference-maker. He finished the game with 10 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in 33 minutes.
Collins spoke about his new teammate and his impact on the defensive end.
“A lot of blocked shots tonight… I’m glad to have Dewanye back,” Collins said.
With Cam Reddish still out (concussion protocol), fellow rookie De’Andre Hunter played one of the better games of his career so far. The forward finished the game with 19 points, nine rebounds and five steals.
New York won the rebounding battle finishing a plus six on the glass. They also created a bunch of steals, causing havoc on the defensive end of the floor. But the reason they lost is simple: careless mistakes.
“We had some opportunities,” Knicks coach Mike Miller said.
Six players scored in double figures for Miller’s team, yet they still walked away with the loss.
One of those players was forward Julius Randle. He stuffed the stat sheet and had a double-before the first half even ended. As a result of the dominant first half, he finished with 35 points and 18 rebounds.
Second-half adjustments proved vital for Pierce’s team as they switched and used double-teams to slow down Randle’s presence in the game.
Hawks’ forward Kevin Huerter provided a spark in the 2nd half as Atlanta went on a 9-2 run to open. His threes provided energy for the team who just clawed their way back into the game. Huerter finished with 16 points. His scoring is needed for the Hawks to continue to see growth as a team. As a potential third option, he has to pick and choose when to be aggressive.
Reggie Bullock was great for the Knicks. He especially excelled at the three-point line, connecting on five of his ten attempts. He kept the defense honest while Randle drew consistent double-teams.
Wins like Sunday’s can jumpstart a team’s rebuild as confidence begins to flow and it becomes contagious among the group.
Player of the Game: Collins often gets overlooked playing with Young. But tonight, Collins stepped in masterfully and carried the scoring load in the first half. He hit three-point shots, was rim-running and was spectacular on defense. He continues to show up no matter who is on the floor. This guy is a stud and is continuing to produce double-doubles with regularity. It is apparent that Atlanta has a dynamic duo, and should continue to feed Collins while also making him an integral part of the offense.
Atlanta will be back at it again Monday night as they take on the Orlando Magic Monday night at 7:15.
