The Hawks crushed the Portland Trail Blazers 118-101 Friday night at State Farm Arena. Head Coach, Quin Snyder, gets his first victory on his home floor. The last time Atlanta faced Portland, Dejounte Murray destroyed them, putting up a career-high 40 points. Atlanta’s star was on a mission to up that number again.
Murray started off hot, knocking down his first two three’s of the night. He had five of the Hawks’ first seven points. Atlanta forced the Blazers into four turnovers with active hands in less than five minutes.
The Hawks started fast out of the gate but created the first separation on the back of a 12-4 run to put them up 27-16. With 41 seconds left in the opening frame, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Onyeka Okongwu, who hit his second career three-pointer in the second quarter, provided a highlight sequence to send Hawks’ fans into a frenzy.
Bogdanovic blocked two shots in one possession, and on the other end, Okongwu threw down a thunderous reverse dunk to punctuate Atlanta’s great first quarter. Damian Lillard started off hot with 12 points, but nobody else on the Blazers scored more than three.
With a 31-19 lead entering the second quarter, the Hawks kept their foot on the gas pedal. A 23-9 extended run from the first frame gave Atlanta a 42-26 lead with eight minutes to go till halftime. Lillard continued to light it up for 17 of the Blazers’ 34 points, and Murray went toe-to-toe with the superstar with 16. After taking care of the ball in the first quarter, Atlanta committed six turnovers midway through the second quarter, sparking a 10-0 Blazers run to cut the lead to 47-41. However, the Hawks regained their offensive rhythm to conclude the half with a 59-49 lead.
Murray torched Portland for 23 first-half points on 10-13 FG, including a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. Lillard had 18 points in the first-half to lead the Blazers. Both teams turned the ball over 9 times, but Murray’s scorching hot shooting kept Atlanta in a comfortable position.
While Trae Young struggled with his shot in the first-half, he came out on fire in the third quarter. The Hawks held Portland to around a 10-point deficit, Young knew it was time to extend the lead. Blazers rookie, Shaedon Sharpe, went under a screen set for the Hawks’ superstar, and Young drained a 26-ft bomb. He knocked down his next two threes to balloon Atlanta’s lead to 93-76. The Hawks scored a whopping 38 points in the third quarter led by their star backcourt. Young and Murray entered the final frame with 23 and 31 points, respectively. Lillard had 25 for Portland, as he tried to fuel a Blazers’ comeback.
With a 97-76 lead, Atlanta never looked back in the fourth quarter. Murray kept knocking down mid-range after mid-range. Former-Hawk, Cam Reddish caught fire, knocking down three consecutive three’s, but with Atlanta leading 118-101 with 4:18 left, the game was over.
Murray put on a masterclass shooting performance on his way to a career-high 41 points. He shot 17-22 from the field, a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc and only took two free throw’s. With a strong second-half, Young put up 23 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds. Clint Capela added an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double, and De’Andre Hunter killed the Blazers with jumpers for 17 points.
Lillard totaled 33 points and 8 assists, including five three’s. Jerami Grant struggled with his shot for 14 points, on 5-16 FG, and Cam Reddish caught fire in the second-half, scoring 25 points on an efficient 9-17 from the field. This marks the second game in a row where Atlanta has held its opponent to only three double-digit scorers.
After a great win on Friday, Atlanta needs to channel the momentum to cool down the Miami Heat on Saturday night at FTX Arena. If the Hawks win, they leapfrog Miami in the standings. The Heat and Hawks play on Saturday and Monday, making this mini-series crucial for both teams to establish themselves firmly in the race for the playoffs.
