Atlanta Hawks: The second unit has made this back to back easier.
The second unit of the Atlanta Hawks took it to the Phoenix Suns in their recent contest, and they took the game away from one of the best teams in the league. With three minutes to play, the second unit extended the lead by 22 points in the fourth period.
They held the Suns to just four points in the first nine minutes of the fourth period. The Hawks bench went for 26 points in this time. Lou Williams, Onyeka Okongwu, Danilo Gallinari, Solomon Hill, and Kevin Huerter were everywhere on both offense and defense. They have developed some incredible chemistry.
Coach Nate McMillan even pulled the second unit with just under three minutes to go and put out the third unit, getting them some playing time. Kris Dunn was able to get on the court with no pressure and get some minutes into his legs.
The Atlanta Hawks showed how winning helps a team
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Even with the game in hand, Skylar Mays dove full length to win the ball. This is tremendous for the culture of the team. Then, Nathan Knight blocked a shot which led to a transition play where Brandon Goodwin passed the ball behind his back. Knight then had the thunderous dunk which raised the roof.
The hidden benefit of this is that no Hawks starter played more than 26 minutes, with most of them playing 24 minutes or less. This is crucial given that they take on the imploding Indiana Pacers in a back-to-back in Indiana.
Why this is crucial is the Hawks have been battling injuries all season. Playing fewer minutes at this time of the season helps keep the players healthy. Bogdan Bogdanovic has been having issues with his hamstring and playing a quarter less will take some of the pressure off his body.
The other hidden benefit of this game is the Suns take on the New York Knicks in their next game. They will be looking to re-establish their position at the top of the league as soon as they can. If they beat the Knicks, the New York franchise will have lost two on the trot and will slip back even closer to the Hawks in the standings.
Next. It is a good thing the RJ Barrett trade was denied. dark
The Hawks’ best possible finishing position is fourth. If the Knicks slip up and the Hawks continue to play the way they have over the last three games, they will get home seeding in the playoffs.