The Hawks scored an exciting 121-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors with a buzzing try from Tony Snell to improve under Nate McMillan to 5-1 and 17-20 on the season.
First term
The Hawks came out with a starting lineup of Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Tony Snell, John Collins and Clint Capela. Maybe some fans expected Bogdanovic to start, but for now it looks like he will help lead the banking unit for Atlanta. For Toronto, Deandre Bembry joined starting lineup Kyle Lowry, Aron Baynes, Norman Powell and Stanley Johnson.
The Falcons came out scorching hot with a 14-4 run from the gate. They would lead 37-26 after one. Trae Young led all the scorers with 11. Gallinari helped big time with eight from the bench, and the Atlanta defense had an impressive four blocks, with Capela and Okongwu looking good in their minutes.
Second Term
The Hawks started the second quarter with Rondo, Hill, Gallo, Bogi and Okongwu. Rondo inflamed Atlanta’s score with a deep try, followed by a nice finish from Okongwu on a setback dunk. The next possession for the Hawks was another try made by Rondo to give them a 45-29 lead. A try from Solomon Hill would then take an 11-0 run through the banking unit.
However, the Raptors responded and passed in a flurry with a 10-0 run and cut the lead to nine before an expulsion from the Hawks. After the break, Young missed two character-free free throws in an unusual way, and Terence Davis had a nice finish to further narrow the gap.
The Falcons eventually kept the Raptors away and finished the first half five – 64-59. The story of the first half was certainly the ability of Trae Young to get to the line by hitting nine of his twelve attempts. He would shoot the half with 20 points on 5/12. Norman Powell led the score for the Raps by 18.
Third term
Kevin Huerter scored the second half with a beautiful mid-range jumper – a staple of Red Velvet – in Atlanta’s first possession, but the rest of the quarter belongs to the Raptors. They took the lead a few minutes later, and after a set by Trae Young to level the game, Toronto jumped in to let their ten stand in the final period.
Fourth term
The Falcons did come out strong to start the fourth, cutting the lead to five after a wild finish from Young caused a time-out through contact.
After the break, however, Toronto would hit three straight shots to gain their biggest lead of the night. 13. Chris Boucher clinched the score at 8-0 with his second try of the game. The Hawks would then call a time-out of their own with 8:47 to go, hoping for another miracle like the one in Orlando before the All-Star break.
With 3:47 left, the Hawks cut the lead to five after a deep try from Young, and another three from Gallo came to a few points between Atlanta. The Hawks then requested a time-out after Collins lodged a complaint. A couple of Huerter free throws put the Hawks just three with 3:29 left.
After a few back-and-forth scores for both teams, Trae Young had a tough performance to drop the Hawks by less than forty seconds. Atlanta would stop one more and look for a bucket to avoid the lead. They got the stop they wanted, but an unfortunate refusal by Collins gave Toronto a possession again. However, Bembry would miss a faded driver with just ten seconds to go, which would give the Hawks a chance at two with the ball.
After the exit, Trae Young drove to the edge and passed the ball to Tony Snell for a wide open try, which he canned at the buzzer to give the Hawks what can only be described as a complete rollercoaster. In a game of runs, the Falcons had the biggest one when it mattered, eventually winning the game 121-120.
Overview
Trae Young would end the evening with 37 points, but his best game of the evening would of course be his sixth and final assist for Tony Snell. Gallinari had a fine that was offensive, he scored 20 on 10 shots and hit four tries. Capela once again had a monster rebound game, with 19 boards to complete five blocks. While not yet playing his best basketball, Rondo +6 finished for the Hawks, helping carry the bench unit in important minutes while Young rests.
The Raptors will be upset to waste a jewel from Chris Boucher, who finished the game with 29 points on 10/15. Norm Powell continued his impressive score before the break, dropping by 33 points and leaving the victory almost iced with some big shots.
All in all, the Falcons’ attack eventually came through, and the defense did just enough when it was important to express the victory. It was not pretty, but it was a win that the Falcons would appreciate.
The Falcons are back home on Saturday against the Kings for a tip at 7:30 p.m.
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