The Atlanta Hawks (18-25) trailed the Milwaukee Bucks 95-86 with 9:35 remaining in the game when Nate McMillan subbed John Collins out in favor of second-year big man, Onyeka Okongwu. The fifth-year forward had played a solid game notching a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double with three blocks.
Atlanta would go on outscore Milwaukee 35-19 the rest of the way snapping a 10-game losing streak at home.
Interestingly, it isn’t as though Collins played poorly, just as his stat line would indicate. He didn’t shoot well (33.3 FG%) but he also had three blocks. So did Okongwu and it was his defense on Giannis Antetoukounmpo that helped lock this win down for the Hawks.
Antetokounmpo had 27 points on the night and entered play on Monday as the league-leader in fourth-quarter scoring with 8.4 points on 56.5 percent shooting per game in the final frame.
He went 1-of-5 after Okongwu’s return, scoring his last six points at the line.
They got Giannis up to 20 attempts too, including 3-of-13 outside of the restricted area
The Atlanta Hawks backup frontcourt shutdown Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo late for a big win
Atlanta’s veritable ‘Giannis stopper’ finished with 12 points, eight boards, three assists, and three blocks of his own. Fouls have been an issue for Okongwu this season. So the fact that he was able to enter that final stretch with only two despite drawing the start for the injured Clint Capela was huge for the Hawks on Monday and his development.
He’s averaging 3.8 fouls per game as a starter (3.3 coming into Monday) and 3.9 as a reserve.
Having the option of closing with a frontcourt of him and Danilo Gallinari is going to be an issue for a lot of teams. They offer many of the same qualities as the Capela-Collins starting unit but in a simpler form.
Okongwu gives up some size to Capela but not enough strength that his athleticism can’t overcome it.
ONYEKA. OKONGWU. pic.twitter.com/YCeFHVeP4V
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 18, 2022
After the game, Okongwu was very candid about his mindset on defense.
"“I’m always going to play physical. I’m always going to do what I do. Be aggressive, physical, foul if I need to. I don’t back down to anybody. That’s how it’s always been, how it always will be. That’s the type of player I am.”"
Okongwu’s teammates praised the former USC Trojans star and sixth-overall pick.
De’Andre Hunter said Okongwu “plays a lot bigger than he looks” with Young echoing his sentiments of the big man’s IQ saying, “he’s small for his position as a big and undersized, but he’s very smart. He knows angles”.
His fellow man-of-the-evening, Gallinari could have some of those same things said about him. He finished the night with 16 points with nine of those points coming in the fourth.
The wily veteran also got to the free-throw line four times in the frame while his eight trips tied his season-high for the third time. It is a continuation of what has been stellar play over the last three games from Gallo after we wondered if he could be one of the next to be moved ahead of the deadline.
Gallinari is averaging 17.0 points on 48.4 percent shooting and 47.1 percent from downtown.
All of those are well above his season-long numbers of 10.2 points on 41.2 percent shooting overall and 40.0 percent from three.
The Hawks doing what they did without Collins – who appeared to tweak his back at one point – is perhaps less interesting than their doing so without Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has missed the last two outings with knee soreness, and Capela for the last five games to an ankle injury.
Bogdanovic, in particular, has struggled this season, especially on defense. He made our list of likely trade candidates as well but his performance and health do complicate matters. The soreness is in the same knee that he suffered an avulsion fracture during last year’s playoffs which required an offseason procedure.
Getting a win with Okongwu playing well in Capela’s absence might be a glimpse into the not-too-distant future.
Capela is reportedly off-limits but can’t be moved until this offseason anyway.
Winning with Young and Huerter joining Collins in struggling from the floor for most of the evening while without Bogdanovic could give a glimpse into the immediate future though with the trade deadline drawing closer.
Pairing Gallinari and Okongwu hadn’t been great with a minus-12.3 net rating entering the contest. That number is up to minus-2.8 after the win.
The Hawks came into this game struggling mightily in the fourth quarter and needing a second go-to scorer to emerge. A team effort was the answer to both in this one.