The Atlanta Hawks will next take the floor on April 15 in the Play-In Tournament against the Orlando Magic, whom they defeated in the final game of the regular season to win the series 3-1.
Neither team played its full complement of regular rotation players, opting for rest and health over worrying about rust. In a matchup where both teams know each other well, that could indeed be the difference.
Hawks star Trae Young spoke about the matchup during Sunday’s game.
“We know it's gonna be a physical game, and they’re kind of known for being a physical team. We know they’re not necessarily the best offensive team in the league. But they are one of the bands, if not the best defensive team in the league. So there’s definitely different styles in our game,” Young told Bob Rathbun and Dominique Wilkins on April 13.
“We need to figure out a way to make sure that we play our game and we’re ready to play on Tuesday, and I feel very confident about it.”
Hawks ready for Magic matchup in Play-In Tournament
Young expressed similar sentiments after beating the Utah Jazz one week ago to the day. He tailored his message about the Hawks’ approach to the Magic, who overtook them for the No. 7 seed and homecourt advantage in the Play-In game in the last two weeks.
“We can't show them any driving lanes. Obviously, they're going to score. It’s not going to be perfect. But we gotta make sure that we’re in gaps, and we’re not giving them any lanes. And not necessarily letting them shoot three or giving them threes, but forcing them to take tough, contested threes. And if we give them a lot of that, we’ll give ourselves a chance, and that's what we plan to do.”
Hawks starting center Onyeka Okongwu joined Young as a non-participant in Sunday’s tilt.
The fifth-year big man noted the familiarity with their upcoming opponent and what it will take for the Hawks to notch a victory.
“We know what we have to do as far as we know what they bring. They got defenders, physicality everywhere. But divisional foe. We’ll be ready come game time on Tuesday,” Okongwu said during the game. “I just feel like we have to make them all move side-to-side. We gotta be able to run, play to our strengths. They’re a great defensive team, so we’ll have to be able to move them around and generate quality shots.”
The Hawks went 19-22 on the road during the regular season, but the two teams split their games in Orlando. This is the Hawks’ fourth straight appearance in the Play-In Tournament. They are 3-1 in their previous Play-In games.