Atlanta Hawks: 5 Takeaways After Gutsy Win vs. Cavaliers

After a thrilling Atlanta Hawks victory at home, let’s explore some takeaways to last night’s game vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers.

For some reason, the Atlanta Hawks are suddenly a competitive team that is putting up a fight seemingly every night. Even with Taurean Prince out, the team is 6-5 in his absence (much more on that down the line), and if they hadn’t lost to a sterling Indiana Pacers squad, they would’ve put together a six-game winning streak.

So what’s going on with these Hawks? Well the rookies – namely Trae Young and Kevin Huerter – seem to be playing more confidently and more within their games on a night-to-night basis. Young is pulling up from way downtown far less and Huerter is driving to the rim with more authority on the back of his solid, good size and impressive footspeed.

In the game against the Cavs, the good play of the Atlanta Hawks young guns continued, and the team was able to gut out a victory on the back of some clutch free throws and steady play of Young and John Collins.

Though the Hawks shot rather poorly from beyond the three-point line (10 of 37, 27%), the Cavs produced a far worse percentage from downtown (5 of 23, 21.7%). While it’s true that Collin Sexton is something of a midrange specialist in his rookie season, that’s no excuse for such a poor shooting night.

Let’s explore the takeaways from this game, which focus on the best performers for the Atlanta Hawks. But first, the bad news…

Bazemore Injured

Kent Bazemore has been extremely fun to watch this season for the Atlanta Hawks, but after colliding with Cedi Osman in the third quarter of last night’s game, it became clear that Baze sprained his ankle.

As a trooper and consummate professional, Baze shot both free throws (making 1), then was immediately subbed out. He barely made a fuss, but it was clear he was in severe discomfort.

Baze has long been one of the most likable players on the Atlanta Hawks, even dating back to his first season with the team in the magical 60-win season of 2014-15. It’s been a joy to watch him grow and blossom from a high-energy bench player to sturdy starter to team’s best player in a matter of a few seasons, and with his stock at an all-time high around the league, he was starting to get some trade buzz.

We’ve outlined multiple deals surrounding Baze that might send him to contenders for the playoffs in both conferences, but this might put a dent in the team’s plans to move him if these sprain is indeed as serious as it looked.

Either way, we wish Baze a speedy recovery. His absence was surely felt both on and off the court, as his bench reactions are always among the best on the entire team and his defense would’ve helped to ensure a win for the Hawks versus a seemingly listless Cavs team.

Vince Season-High

For the first time this season, the Atlanta Hawks were led in scoring by none other than the inimitable presence of 41-year-old Vince Carter.

A living legend in the NBA, Vince looked spry in this game, and he even got up for a stunning two-hander in the fourth quarter:

Other than Trae Young, Carter was the difference in this game, as his extremely efficient 21-point night helped steady the ship in the 4th quarter, when it looked as if the team might roll over and give this game up (which might’ve been preferable for tanking enthusiasts).

All told, Vinsanity scored 21 points on only 7 of 11 shooting, thanks to a gorgeous 4 of 7 showing from long distance.

Collins Piles Up Another Double-Double

Beyond Carter, John Collins had yet another excellent game for the Atlanta Hawks, and the second-year big man continues to pile up double-doubles at an excellent rate. As is his wont, Collins was in foul trouble in this one, but it didn’t stop him from absolutely yamming all over the Cavs in the first half on this putback:

In 27 minutes, JC had 14 points and 12 rebounds (6 of which were OREBS) as well as 2 assists. He had a mild +1 in on/off rating, but his impact is sorely missed whenever he’s off the floor. Though he didn’t have his most efficient night on offense (6 of 13 shooting), he is still an extremely versatile scorer with excellent finishing ability in traffic and through contact.

Ice Trae Big Down the Stretch

The other major contributor to this victory for the Atlanta Hawks was rookie Trae Young, who carved up a lackluster Cavaliers defense with some stunning assists in both halves.

In the second quarter, when John Collins struggled to get off the bench due to foul trouble, Young loved diming up Alex Len with some easy lobs and nifty bounce passes in traffic.

Beyond that, Ice Trae was finishing with ease and he shot 6 of 10 from two-point range. Though he only nailed 2 of his 6 three-pointers, that is still an improvement on his season average.

With that said, Young is a wizard with the ball in his hands, and he has proven to be a versatile, deadly weapon as a pick-and-roll ballhandler through the first 36 games of his career. Young’s final stat line: 21 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal in a team-high 33 minutes.

Bench Duo Shines

Two other players off the Atlanta Hawks bench combined to play less minutes than Ice Trae did by himself, but they both impacted this victory in their own way.

Justin Anderson and Alex Poythress provided sparks on both ends of the floor, with much of Anderson’s work being done on the defensive end in the 4th and Poythress’s nearly automatic scoring around the basket giving the Atlanta Hawks a shot in the arm on the more glamorous end too.

Anderson led the Hawks with a +11 in on/off rating, and though he only scored 2 points on 1 of 3 shooting, that +11 was definitely merited as he affected the outcome of this game in other ways – as evidenced by his 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist in those 15 minutes.

Poythress was an automatic bucket for the Atlanta Hawks, as he poured in 11 quick points in his 15 minutes behind 5 of 7 shooting with 3 rebounds and a +8 on/off rating.

The Hawks play next on New Year’s Eve against the Pacers. The early tip-off is slated for 3:00 p.m. EST.