The Atlanta Hawks tweeted a graphic following their 118-111 win over the Washington Wizards. It was captioned “Back home, back in the W column”. It was a reference to the game taking place in State Farm Arena, but could just as easily apply to their living at the free-throw line in this one.
They entered the night undefeated at home. Leaving that way (and 4-3 overall) had to feel a little sweeter after their last meeting.
Their last rendezvous ended with the hosting Wizards on top 122-111 and some key commentary about the Hawks and Trae Young, in particular, adjusting to the league’s new emphasis on shooting fouls.
We already told you Young had a gripe. But on Monday night, against a team that was vocal about the last game, he had a plan.
The Atlanta Hawks perfect night from the charity stripe highlights perfect response in bounce-back win
After shooting just 33 total free throws over their last two games (hitting 23 including 9-of-14 in the first meeting with Washington) the Hawks went a pristine 29-of-29 from the charity stripe in the rematch. That included 11-of-11 from Trae Young, who has been made the face of the entire debate.
Young (26 points, six assists, four rebounds) had seen his free throw attempts cut about in half but, prior to the loss to the Wizards, it hadn’t affected him much.
Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma took to social media following their win over the Hawks to praise the league’s new stance — as have Draymond Green and several other players — saying it made the game much more enjoyable to watch.
It isn’t certain he was referring to Young’s outcry, but it isn’t hard to connect the dots.
In the end, the Wizards shot 16-of-16 themselves at the line after going 17-of-21 in the previous matchup.
They were also less than pleased at how more than a few calls went (or didn’t go).
Behind Young, Clint Capela had a 16-point, 12-board double-double while Bogdan Bogdanovic matched the points but swapped the rebounds for going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, another big theme of the night.
Cam Reddish had 15 points and a couple of steals while going 3-of-6 from deep. Danilo Gallinari found his legs for 12 points (4-of-3 3P) to give the Hawks a nice 1-2 punch with Reddish off the bench. De’Andre Hunter had 11 points and though, his three-ball wasn’t there in this one, he’s shooting a career-high 35.3 percent from downtown so far.
The unsung hero might have been John Collins as the box score won’t show his impact and effort on the night after not being great defensively on Saturday.
He too didn’t get in on the three-point parade (the Hawks shot 38.2 percent from outside) but tallied six of his 12 points at the charity stripe, nine boards, and six(!!!) assists were all pivotal in the win. After the game, both Young and Nate McMillan were glowing over the power forward.
Nate McMillan grinned when I asked him about John Collins tonight: "I just love him. He comes in with a smile and just plays for 48 minutes."
— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) November 2, 2021
The Hawks head coach has been preaching his message of sacrifice since the summer and Collins’ performance on the night epitomized that.
It was their willingness to match Washington’s physicality that made the difference in this game. Collins set the tone. Young — who was 1-for-4 from the floor and 0-for-3 from deep but 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter — led the charge to make sure they capitalized.
Interestingly enough, only nine of Atlanta’s free throws came after the break, eight in the fourth quarter alone.
Atlanta also used a 34-point first quarter, exorcising several demons on the night that had been plaguing them. Next, they’ll take face the 4-3 Nets in Brooklyn. They’ve won two games in a row but James Harden has himself had a tough time getting acclimated with the new rules.
The Hawks took the season series last year 2-to-1. If they maintain their newfound aggression, keep the ball moving, and continue to sacrifice they’ll get the first win this year.