The Atlanta Hawks lost two of their last three games, two against the Toronto Raptors and then the away game against the Dallas Mavericks. The game that they won was against the league-leading Phoenix Suns. The Hawks needed a game where they could just reset their offense and have a relatively easy matchup.
This is what happened against the Indiana Pacers. Every player was true to their role. Trae Young was the offensive maestro, collecting 34 points and 11 assists while going 6-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Clint Capela gave a masterclass on rebounding while Kevin Huerter was a good floor spacer. De’Andre Hunter was solid on defense and John Collins continued in his role of giving the team what they need, this time being the second scoring option.
The Atlanta Hawks bench got an extended run as well.
One of the best aspects for the Hawks was that their starters got extended bench time after making sure that they had the game in the bag. Three of the main bench players had more than 20 minutes with every player fulfilling their role.
Onyeka Okongwu played just under 17 minutes and in that time went a perfect 6-of-6 and scored 16 points. Then the third unit played the final seven minutes of the game, making sure that all the key players were safely stowed on the bench where they are less likely to get injured.
This game was almost a training drill with live opposition. The Hawks only had to contend with a sharp-shooting rookie in Chris Duarte, a top-level defender in Torrey Craig, and the inconsistency of Lance Stephenson. Without too many NBA-level players, the Hawks had the ability to try out plays in an NBA-level environment, helping them to see if they work.
This was the game that the Hawks needed to have at this point in the season. It gave them the ability to reset, taking ownership of their roles. This means that they are now in the best position they can be for a good run in the changing Eastern Conference.