It was Trae Young’s homecoming and he put up 41 points.
The Hawks’ inconsistency this season has been annoying. They have a tendency to slumber through games against weaker competition. The opposite was true tonight.
At the intermission, the Hawks had a franchise-record 85 points, thanks in large part to Trae Young’s 30 points. The Hawks won 136-118 behind the 41 points and 8 assists from Young.
40-piece Trae 🧊🧊🧊 pic.twitter.com/SzgOQ4Ta95
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) March 31, 2022
Because the Hawks were missing John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, and Jalo Johnson, Kevin Knox had plenty of opportunities to go hot on the defensive end. And so he burned. On a season-high 17 points, Knox hit 60 percent of his shots. Kevin Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic, both excellent shooters, scored a combined 20 points.
As a result, the Hawks can prepare for a three-game series against Cleveland, New York City, and Toronto that begins tonight. Once again, the Thunder’s front management can focus on acquiring draught picks.
Kevin Huerter đź’° pic.twitter.com/YwSuafIl8J
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) March 31, 2022
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Interviews with the Players and Coaches after the game
In his own words, Hawks coach Nate McMillan, “Right from the start, I thought our players did an excellent job of setting the tone for defence. A few minutes into the game, we were able to get stops and get out of transition, and we had a huge first quarter. And that was a good sign for the game’s atmosphere.”
If you question McMillan about Knox’s outstanding performance, he says: “For the entire season, we’ve really been focusing on this one thing. As the lineup changes, the players are taking advantage of their opportunity.”
Continued McMillan, “Due to the absence of all of our forwards, he was a necessity. Fortunately for us, he stepped up and played exceptionally well. Those few minutes were certainly worthwhile.”
Trae had his 10th 40-point game of the season in OKC. pic.twitter.com/wRtSnVWjl4
— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) March 31, 2022
Tomorrow night, the Hawks go to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers in a crucial game. We’ll be back in the morning with your game day scouting report. Sports Illustrated’s AllHawks.com will keep you up to date on the latest Hawks news, highlights, and commentary.
Also read:Â Todays NBA Games Include: Best Bets, Daily Fantasy Picks, and Tv Schedule
Game Stats
Hawks Leaders
Trae Young – 41 pts, 8 ats
Kevin Huerter – 20 points, two rebounds
Bogdan Bogdanovic (20 pts, 3 rbs):
Thunder Leaders
There were 25 points and four rebounds for Lindy Waters III in this game
Olivier Sarr – 17 Points, 9 Rebounds
Theo Maledon – 18 points, 8 AST
