Official Game Thread: Hawks at Raptors

[lethalweapon3]

“This had better not cost me my career, Book!”

 

Winter is Here! The Raptors avoided the Ice Trae storm earlier this week. But as long as the respective shoulders of Mr. Young and his Atlanta Hawks teammate John Collins (questionable after last night’s stinger) will cooperate, Toronto is bracing tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, SportsNet in T-Dot) for a cold front.

The Hawks have been able to capitalize on a home-friendly schedule (10 home, 2 away) that kept them in the American Southeast since returning from L.A. on January 9. But like the Raptors, who tripped up the Hawks without Young available to literally assist on Monday, Atlanta understands that winning play has to translate on the road.

For all their adventures and misadventures early in the season away from home, Atlanta (25-26) has pocketed just 24 road games entering today. The only team in the NBA that has played fewer is Toronto (27-23, 12-11 away from Scotiabank Arena), a volume impacted just slightly by pandemic-related rescheduling. Every team in the East’s Top-7 has a road record of .500 or better, with #8-seed Charlotte (14-16, most road games played in the East) not far behind.

Miami has absorbed as many road Ls as the Hawks (10-14 away). But the heat also has five more Ws, allowing them to enjoy a home-flavored closing schedule as they vie for the East’s top spot.

Nick Nurse’s team hit the road after losing to rising Phoenix on January 11, playing eight of their next ten games on the road and dropping four of the first six. The road trip could have ended on a sour note for the Raps as they struggled to float above the Play-In line. But they outlasted the heat in triple OT last Saturday, then made it up from South Florida to edge Atlanta 106-100.

Behind Pascal Siakam’s uphill tally of 25 points (22 FGAs + 7 FTAs in 45 of 48 minutes) and 7 dimes, Toronto averted OT once more last night against the Bulls, one of those postponed games from December that makes tonight’s affair another back-to-back. They’ll see almost as much of Scotiabank this month as the Hawks will. A visit from Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets on the 12^th is the only other February home date for Toronto, who returns to the ATL on the 26^th a day after visiting the Hornets’ hive.

It is just as essential for these two clubs to compile intra-conference victories. In a similar fashion to Miami’s road record, Milwaukee presently has as many losses to Eastern opponents as Atlanta (14-16 vs. NBA East). But Bud’s Bunch also has seven more conference wins, plus they’re a gaudy 11-5 against the West. Only Cleveland (17-11 vs. East) and Brooklyn (20-9) have fielded fewer games within the East as the Hawks, and every team above Atlanta, including Toronto (19-14) is at least five games above .500 in this department.

On paper, by most measures, Atlanta’s remaining schedule strength is among the weakest in the East, if not the entire league (48.0 FG% combined winning percentage, as per Tankathon, 27^th in NBA and a shade behind Toronto’s 48.1). Neither the Hawks nor Raptors (no one inactive, aside from M.I.A. MIA-wannabe Goran Dragic) are in a position to use fatigue as an excuse for listless play on the back ends of back-to-backs.

But if one team were to do so, you sure could look at Toronto’s starters and agree. First-time All-Star Fred Van Vleet, Siakam and OG Anunoby are all on the medal stand with the highest logged per-game minutes in the league (37.2 – 38.7 MPG), with super-rook Scottie Barnes (36.2) not all that far behind. Among the best-performing Raptors of late, Gary Trent, Jr.’s 34.8 MPG exceeds the top Hawk’s rate, Young’s 34.6.

Barring trades from Masai Ujiri and company to address depth, that plus the upcoming travel has all got to catch up with the Raptors eventually, particularly Siakam, the sole NBA’er who has run for over 700 minutes since January 1. Pascal’s wager has paid off so far, his assist-turnover ratio and perimeter shooting in this calendar year (113/58 & 39.6 3FG% in 18 games) comparing favorably with Young (122/65 & 40.0 in 14).

Neutralizing Siakam as a high-post disher, limiting Chris Boucher and Precious Achiuwa as creators of second-chances, and keeping Van Vleet (38.6 FG%, 38.7 3FG%, 123 assists and 34 TOs since Jan. 1) from hitting and creating bailout threes, would optimize Atlanta’s chances at pulling off their first back-to-back sweep since November 15, coincidentally the start of the Hawks’ first seven-game win streak of the season.

The Hawks held the road-weary Raps (32.7 O-Reb% and 16.2 second-chance points per-48, tops in East and 2^nd in NBA) to just six player O-Rebs on Monday. But the few Toronto grabbed led to ten crucial second-chance points, compared to six points from Atlanta players’ five O-boards. Despite the need to rest Danilo Gallinari (out, tight hammy), a rested Gorgui Dieng and a bounce-back performance from Onyeka Okongwu should allow the Hawks to avoid overextending Collins and/or Clint Capela in seizing boards tonight.

While the Hawks struggled at times to create good looks on Monday in Trae’s absence, they stopped Toronto from exploiting their turnovers (8 points off 15 Hawk TOs; 7 points off 8 Raptor TOs), keeping the team within shouting distance of the lead through the final minute. Young’s return should at least offset any extended absence by Lou Williams (questionable, back spasms; 6 assists, 1 TO vs. TOR), but keeping Toronto cool early in transition will be key to contending for victory late.

“We’re hungry to win,” exclaimed Trae to The Athletic following last night’s win over the league-leading Suns, “and we don’t care who’s in front of us.” Chow down while you’re out of town, Atlanta, and feast on the East!

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

The Raps did get some reinforcement with the return of Khem Birch yesterday. Birch, who had been starting, returned from a broken nose suffered back on January 14, and played just under five backup minutes last night versus Chicago.

~lw3

[kg01]

Shirley all these minutes and OT games have gotta start hittin' the cRaptors at some point right?  Might as well be..........

[Atlantaholic]

Payback time

[bleachkit]

So are we going to pay attention to Gary Trent Jr? Just a suggestion

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

First-time All-Star Fred Van Vleet, Siakam and OG Anunoby are all on the medal stand with the highest logged per-game minutes in the league (37.2 – 38.7 MPG),

Dead tired

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Boucher

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Precious Achiuwa

@kg01 a word? … 

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

We’re hungry to win,” exclaimed Trae to The Athletic following last night’s win over the league-leading Suns, “and we don’t care who’s in front of us.” Chow down while you’re out of town, Atlanta, and feast on the East!

 

I cherish and appreciate Trae. Nice work lw3! 
 

I got the Raps by 16 on 2K.

Vegas has Raps -3  Ooohhhkay.

[sturt]

 

 

Hmmmm.... could it possibly be that Jalen gets some minutes tonight???

 

You remember...

 

Jalen...

 

Our first round pick.

 

Just a thought.

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

8 minutes ago, sturt said:

 

 

Hmmmm.... could it possibly be that Jalen gets some minutes tonight???

 

You remember...

 

Jalen...

 

Our first round pick.

 

Just a thought.

Skyhawks are playing tonight so I don't think Jalen is available. Don't think he traveled with team.

 

 

[Gray Mule]

Kevin Knox time?

 

[Atlantaholic]

24 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Kevin Knox time?

 

[marco102]

Worry not.

[Spud2nique]

Calm before the storm ️..

 

he’s gonna wake up in a few minutes and start cheering!!! 
 

LETS GOOOOO HAWKS!!!

I really disagree with Vegas. Raps -3? Really? I mean they are a solid team. We shall see.

[hawkman]

The Raptors defense doesn't seem as formidable this game.

[JeffS17]

Did Trae really dunk it like this feed im reading says?? This bar has been slow to flip the game on

[Dnice]

First to 135 wins, no one wants to step up on defense.

[Dnice]

John, O,  y'all mind playing defense tonight?

[kg01]

No crowd really benefits TOR.  No energy in the building.

[kg01]

Siakim ain't gonna score 50.  Let him get these outta the way now.

[hawkman]

Just now, kg01 said:

No crowd really benefits TOR.  No energy in the building.

The Hawks are playing like they're hung over or something. There's no time to coast. They're still under .500. This game is a must win.