When the dust settled, the Atlanta Hawks were victorious. But their 124-121 win over the New Orleans was certainly not easy to come by as the Hawks saw their double-digit lead dwindle, eventually turning into a small deficit. They had to tie the game back up to send it to overtime where they eventually came out on top.
It was a thrilling win that included some strong performances from the Hawks’ stars including 34 points and 10 assists from Trae Young.
They got a big well-rounded performance from Clint Capela too.
But they also benefitted from Dejounte Murray’s first triple-double in a Hawks uniform. The 22-point, 11-assist, 10-rebound showing came with three steals and continued the strong start from the Hawks’ newest star.
Dejounte Murray credits Atlanta Hawks for strong start
Murray is off to as good of a start as anyone could have predicted before the season began. It was not a foregone conclusion that he and Young would be a good fit as two ball-dominant guards. But the pairing has been nearly perfect with the Hawks boasting a plus-12.7 efficiency differential, per Cleaning The Glass– ranking in the 92nd percentile – with the two on the floor together.
Last season’s steals champ is certainly carrying his weight averaging 22 points, 8.1 assists, and 6.3 rebounds this season.
He’s shooting 36.4% from beyond the arc which was the biggest question mark about his fit.
“I’m in a happy place,” Murray said of the secret behind his hot start. “I’m in a happy space mentally, physically. And Coach Nate and the staff is on me to be aggressive. My teammates is on me to be aggressive. They believe in me. So that’s another chip I have on my shoulder when I’m working on my game each and every day. Knowing that I have my teammates, my coaches, and obviously my family and stuff depending on me, believe in me. In this world, you want somebody to believe in you. So, like I said I’m happy in that space. But I got my whole support.”
Murray’s teammate De’Andre Hunter – 15 points, six rebounds – raved about the former San Antonio Spurs guard.
"He played great, he's a beast" - Dre on DJ's triple-double@DreHunter x @AnnieFinberg pic.twitter.com/raEnY2MoA4
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 6, 2022
The fiery Murray is the one who sent the game into overtime with a drive to the basket.
“Go get a bucket,” Murray said of his mindset at the end of regulation. “That’s really how I felt. I got to my sweet spot – a spot I’m really familiar with… I’m a guy who is really confident in myself. So if I miss a shot, I’m going to continue to shoot.”
It is still very early in the season but Murray ranks sixth in clutch scoring with 4.8 points over four qualifying games.
Expectations were high when the Hawks traded for him, sending over three unprotected first-round picks in the exchange. But he has arguably already exceeded expectations with his performance as well as his demeanor on the court. The Hawks took a big swing this offseason and it appears to be a home run.