The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Toronto Raptors Thursday night 121-120 in their first game after the All-Star Break.
Nate McMillan’s team jumped out to a 19 point lead in the first half in a roller-coaster of a game but squandered it and fell behind by 15 in the second half. A 24-8 run in the fourth quarter and excellent team defense helped Atlanta start the second half of the season with a bang.
Trae Young played brilliantly, recording 37 points and six assists. 13 of his 37 points came at the free-throw line, where he attempted 16 shots.
Danilo Gallinari was great off the bench scoring 20 points 4-8 from deep. The 20 points marked the second-straight game of 20 or more, and he seems to be starting to blend in well with the bench.
Kevin Huerter’s 19 points, including three threes, were essential for the Hawks, as were Clint Capela’s nine points and 18 rebounds.
Both teams converted 16 points off of 14 turnovers and coughed the ball up eight times. However, the Hawks’ 13 blocks won them their third-straight game.
Toronto came out hot to start the second half, outscoring the Hawks 35-20. They converted easy opportunities and forced the Hawks into several contested shots.
Norman Powell led the way for the Raptors scoring 33 points. However, he only made one shot in the fourth, a quarter the Hawks won by 11.
Chris Boucher scored 29 points on 10-15 shooting for head coach Nick Nurse. He also recorded nine rebounds. He was aggressive all night on both ends, including four offensive rebounds.
Kyle Lowry finished with 17 points and 12 assists, but his nine turnovers proved costly. He never found his rhythm until the end of the game and the mistakes got the best of him.
Nurse’s team came into tonight without three of their five leading scorers in Pascal Siakham, Fred VanVleet and OG Anouoby.
A late-game defensive mishap led to Tony Snell being wide open and securing his late game-winner.
Atlanta continues to improve under interim head coach Nate McMillan, who has already displayed great late-game coaching.
With the win, the Hawks moved into the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed. Both Toronto and Atlanta are 17-20, but the win gives the Hawks the higher seed.
Atlanta looks to continue the momentum Saturday as they host the Sacramento Kings from State Farm Arena.
