The last time the Atlanta Hawks (41-37) faced off against the Toronto Raptors they came away with a 127-100 win. Since then, they have gone 12-6 and from 10th to eighth in the Eastern Conference. Every game is critical with just four remaining in the season, but this one could be a Play-In Tournament preview with Toronto just two games up in the six-spot.
This recent stretch includes their current five-game win streak that ended their week with a win over the Brooklyn Nets. It also saw Trae Young win Player of the Week for the third time this season. He’s averaged 30.3 points and 10.8 assists with 3.3 rebounds.
Still, there is a player on the other side that could make a big difference when the Hawks try to even the regular-season series.
Success has eluded the Hawks when they face a healthy OG Anunoby.
The Atlanta Hawks would be wise to pay close attention to the Raptors injury report
The Hawks are 1-2 against the Raptors this season with Anunoby appearing in both Atlanta losses while missing the lone win. He has been solid offensively against the Hawks, averaging 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on 54.8 percent true shooting. He’s knocked down 5-of-9 threes in those two games; well above his 36.9 percent season average.
Anunoby was not great on either end in the Raptors most recent win over the Hawks, on Feb 4, but he did not have to be as his team knocked down 17-of-27 triples compared to just 9-of-29 for the Hawks.
In the first win, his matchups, including Bogdan Bogdanovic, were 1-of-4 against him. He also had their third-best defensive rating with 15 points and five boards.
He missed their last game with a thigh injury and is questionable for Tuesday’s tilt.
They blew a 10-point, halftime lead by allowing 69 second-half points. More importantly, their five-game run was snapped giving them their first loss since the last game that he missed. They are 14-17 without him and 31-16 when he plays. As we usually say when it comes to those kinds of splits, there are many variables at play.
Still, Anunoby’s impact on winning seems pretty clear. He has the fifth-best net rating on the team, per Cleaning the Glass. His win percentage is also better than any of their other starting five.
The Hawks are rolling, but this was a tough matchup for them earlier in the year. They will need every bit of Young’s magic and the supporting cast’s contributions to keep the streak alive.