Atlanta Hawks: 4 Takeaways From Close Loss To Raptors in Toronto

 These young Hawks still need a closer

Atlanta hung around all game, heading into the final period down by 3 points. With Lin and Collins leading the charge, and Young unafraid to challenge the Raptors inside, the Hawks were looking poised to come away with a truly shocking upset. But poor late-game execution absolutely crushed the Hawks in this one, highlighting their need for a player who can carry the offense down the stretch against elite defenses.

With a 97-96 lead with 3:30 left, Dewayne Dedmon made an awful pass as the Raptors denied any hand-off actions once he received the ball. Leonard took that steal took the other end for a layup to give the Raptors a one-point lead.

Later on, as the Hawks held a one-point lead with just over 34 seconds to go, Atlanta couldn’t find a good shot. They worked the ball around until it eventually found it’s way to Bembry, who was promptly stripped by Leonard for his sixth steal of the game. But it gets worse.

Amid the ensuing scramble, Young fails to call out a screen by Kyle Lowry, which absolutely levels Collins. While Collins is on the ground Bembry is left trying to cover two shooters—one of which was Lowry inside the arc—and while Young did the correct thing as the first man back on D by guarding Serge Ibaka in the paint, the string of events left him stepping up on Lowry to prevent an open midrange shot.

Lowry, ever the cagey veteran, calmly delivered a well-placed bounce pass to Ibaka for a dunk to give the Raptors the lead. Down by one point with the game on the line, Young admirably went at Leonard one-on-one and missed a layup by a wide margin, and it was goodnight Hawks. And to make matters worse, with 0.7 seconds left in the game, Bembry did not recognize that the Hawks should quickly inbound the ball for a heave 3-point attempt to try to tie the game.

Vince Carter furiously jumped up-and-down yelling for Bembry to inbound the ball, and once Carter received it he threw up a heave that hit just to the right of the basket.

While the poor late-game execution has to be criticized here, it is to be expected with a young, rebuilding team that is also dealing with a plethora of injuries. The Hawks stood toe-to-toe with the best team in the league, and did it on a special night, with Carter returning to the place where he turned into a household name.

Despite 27 turnovers, the Hawks lost by a mere 3-points in Toronto. And their 13 offensive rebounds and 10-point advantage in points in the paint were a testament to their toughness, as well as head coach Lloyd Pierce clearly emphasizing the dirty work to his undermanned squad.

An important note from Tuesday’s loss to the Raptors, Young finished with 19 points and was a +3 while being guarded by decent length for most of the game, an extremely encouraging game for first-year guard.

Toronto shows love for Vince Carter

Vince Carter spent 7 seasons in Toronto, scoring 9,420 points during his tenure. Over his two playoff appearances with the Raptors, he averaged over 25 PPG, and had some memorable battles with Allen Iverson. But of course, Carter’s tenure as a Raptor is remembered by most fans for his unbelievable-to-this-day performance at the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest.

Toronto showed appreciation for everything Carter did during his time as a Toronto Raptor, giving him a standing ovation when he checked into the game.

In what could be his last game in Toronto, Carter finished with 6 points, a rebound and a steal, along with one oh-so-close 3/4th court shot to closeout the action. Overall, the game was a great sign for the Hawks, and a great night of appreciation for Carter as he closes out his 21st season of NBA basketball, and potentially, his last.