Sports

On emotional night, Hawks’ offense pushes past Wizards

By Sarah K. Spencer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Washington Wizards v Atlanta Hawks ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 26: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks is seen wearing a jersey with the number 8 on it in memory of Kobe Bryant as the Washington Wizards hold the ball for a 24 second violation after tip off at State Farm Arena on January 26, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

By Sarah K. Spencer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Hawks (12-35) scored 88 points in the second and third quarters and finished with a season-high 152 points Sunday in their 19-point win over the Wizards at State Farm Arena.

Below are some takeaways from the win:

1. The game followed the tragic news that NBA great Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash earlier Sunday. State Farm Arena observed a moment of silence in honor of the Lakers before the game, casting a purple light throughout the crowd.

It was emotional and difficult to play through the news, many players said. The Hawks opened the game with an eight-second violation and the Wizards followed with 24-second violation in Bryant’s honor (He wore jersey No. 8 for the first half of his career and No. 24 for the last half before retiring in 2016).

The Hawks wrote “Mamba mentality” on their white board before the game, per coach Lloyd Pierce, and tried to use the game as a brief escape and reminder to keep things in perspective: “The definition (of Mamba mentality) is defined by many for what Kobe has done, in terms of his intensity, his killer instinct, his attack mode, mindset, his dominance, but that’s also the love of the game. All the things you pour into your work and your craft, so that you can dominate, allows you to enjoy it. I just wanted our guys to feel that way, really engage and be locked in, but to enjoy it, and to remember to enjoy it.”

2. Trae Young, who had recently developed a relationship with Bryant and Gianna, was electric despite the tough circumstances, leading the way with 45 points (13-24 FG, 6-11 3-point range, 11-13 FT) and 14 assists. This marked his eighth 40-plus point game of the season (he continues to trail only Houston’s James Harden in this category, who has tallied 16). He heaved a shot from 42 feet out to beat the buzzer and help the Hawks to a six-point lead at halftime, and the Wizards couldn’t find a way to slow him down all night. “Trae, he’s a problem,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “He’s a handful, he’s an All-Star for all the right reasons. He’s a hard guy to guard, he was making his shots, he was getting guys involved. They run everything through him, which they should, and then we didn’t do a good job of containing it.”

3. Granted, the Wizards have the worst defensive rating in the league by quite a wide margin (116.1). But the Hawks crushed their previous season-high in scoring (127 points in a loss to Milwaukee Nov. 20) in posting the most points in regulation since Feb. 11, 1970, when they scored 155 at San Diego. They set a season-high in field-goal percentage (58.1%) and scored 47 points in the second quarter, which is the most the Hawks have scored in a single quarter since scoring 48 points vs. New Jersey on April 15, 1997. Rookie De’Andre Hunter had a strong performance with 25 points to bolster the offense.

4. Shooting 90.5% from the free-throw line (38-for-42) helped keep the Wizards in it, and several of the Hawks got in foul trouble in the second half, with John Collins fouling out with 6:10 to play in the fourth (tallying 16 points and eight rebounds beforehand). Bruno Fernando, Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish each picked up five fouls. “Across the board, I thought our were great,” Pierce said. “We fouled too much and it really kept them in the game in the first half but I thought we were tremendous everywhere else.”

5. Bradley Beal was cruising, leading the Wizards in scoring with 40 (12-22 FG, 15-18 FT), with major success driving and from the line. But fortunately for the Hawks, he only shot 1-for-5 from 3-point range. “He was a load,” Pierce said. “He’s tough to guard. He moves well, he changes directions well and he gets downhill and that’s where he hurt us primarily. Luckily the shots weren’t falling from the perimeter. But we had multiple guys that we can throw at him.”

By the Numbers

14 and 12 (how many points and rebounds rookie Bruno Fernando tallied in his first career double-double, with a career-high 14 points and career-high 12 rebounds)

Quotable

“There was a lot things going through my mind after I heard the news, and I was just trying to think of something that I could try and pay homage to the legend and just make it throwback No. 8, and just wear it and get that 8-second violation.” (Young on coming out wearing No. 8)

This article was written by Sarah K. Spencer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.


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