The Atlanta Hawks (12-17) entered this clash with the Denver Nuggets looking to change course and reach halfway through the season, having lost five of the last six games and eight of the last ten games. The Nuggets also sought consistent results to beat them among the elite of the Western Conference, sitting 16-13 and winning four of the last six.
The Hawks continued without the services of De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rajon Rondo and Kris Dunn due to long-term injuries. Visitors to the Nuggets came in tonight not in complete health either, losing Paul Millsap, Gary Harris and JaMychal Green, among others.
Nate McMillan continued to train the team in an interim role, while Lloyd Pierce takes care of the birth of his second child with his wife.
The home team started out cold, missing five of the first six strokes. Meanwhile, Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray – coming off a 50-point record with no attempt at a free throw on Saturday night – helped Denver cut to the edge at will, taking the Nuggets to a 12-7 lead in 5 out of 7 shots in the first timeout.
Porter Jr., in particular, cooked in the first quarter to the 10-point tune in a perfect 4-in-4 shot before going to the bench after two fouls. The Hawks leaked points, allowing the Nuggets to score 33 points out of 13 out of 20 (68.4%) from the ground and 4 out of 7 (57.1%) out of three.
Trae Young recorded an experienced theft and helped prepare Kevin Huerter for a triple at the beginning, seen below.
The sixth overall choice, Onyeka Okongwu, came to life in the first half, displaying and rolling into the basket. This, along with an impressive defensive game, was a boon for the home team in the first half.
Atlanta completely eliminated the initial nine-point gap to lead 37-33 in one point in the second quarter, behind some hot kicks from unlikely source Tony Snell, who started 3-to-3 behind the hoop.
This improved performance of taxpayers, in addition to better defensive pressure and rim protection, helped to cool the Nuggets in the second quarter. The 2021 All-Star holder, Nikola Jokic, was not a decisive factor in the first half, not scoring until the six minute mark in the second half and distributing three moves for just one assist.
Young took advantage of the indifferent transition of defense time and again to show his floater and long passes for dunkers running on the ground, like this one for John Collins, making him go to the bench for a while after falling hard on his side.
Atlanta gained a 64-56 lead at half-time, with Young’s 11 points and 8 assists, although the young guard suffered a technical foul when he entered the tunnel to attack a referee. As a team, the Hawks hit 15 out of 22 (68.2%) in the field and 4 out of 8 (50%) out of three in the second quarter, for 77.2% eFG.
Young resumed where he left off in the third quarter, scoring or assisting in the first eight field goals for a total of 19 points, taking the lead to 17 – the highest for any team in the game up to that point. And the Hawks did not stop there, as Young continued to add bottom points, totaling 14 points and five assists in the third quarter alone.
Clint Capela continued to be efficient in finishing the lobs, with 16 points out of 7 out of 8 shots in three quarters. With the Nuggets still struggling to find the basket, the Hawks took a 93-76 lead to fourth in the fourth after finishing with a 22 point lead.
Murray and Monte Morris would not let the Nuggets fall without a fight, however, and with four field goals and 10 points in the space of two minutes, Coach McMillan was forced to ask for a time limit to rally the troops with the 13th advantage cut
Still, Atlanta scratched and scratched and kept Denver at bay with some clutch stops. The Nuggets failed to purchase a field goal in the fourth period from the 8:19 minute mark to 3:51 – an interval of about four and a half minutes that severely undermined all hopes of returning to the competition.
Collins had a quiet night, but showed some ability to hit shots with the dribble to the basket.
For the second time in three games, an opponent applied a Hack-a-Capela strategy at the end of the game, but Capela responded by hitting the first two free-throw attempts in that situation.
A trio of late triples from Facundo Campazzo took the lead to single digits at one point, and a rainbow Jokic three reduced the lead to 7 at the last minute, but it was a little too late for the Nuggets on the second night of a lap. back.
Young almost surpassed the season’s record of 16 assists with 15 shares, and added 35 points in just 19 shots to 1.84 points per shot. As a team, the Hawks shared the ball well, assisting 29 of the 42 (69%) field goals.
Both John Collins and Clint Capela recorded a double-double, with another solid performance of 20 and 10 in the center. The Hawks calmly drained their last free throws to freeze the game – going to 26 out of 32 (81.3%) in the charity band – to win 123 to 115.