The Atlanta Hawks moved to 1-0 in the in-season tournament with a 126-120 victory over the Detroit Pistons Tuesday night. Trae Young was inactive due to the birth of his second child, but the Hawks’ offense held strong with Dejounte Murray leading the way. Head Coach, Quin Snyder, moved Bogdan Bogdanovic into the starting five in Young’s absence, and it proved to be a great move from the jump.
Atlanta threw the first punch, jumping out to a 14-6 lead behind Murray and Bogdanovic. The Hawks made nine of their first 11 field goals and built their lead to 29-19 mid-way through the first quarter. The Pistons’ starters struggled to make their mark early, but the bench brought the energy. Alec Burks and Jaden Ivey delivered five points and five assists, respectively, to shrink the Hawks’ lead to 31-27; however, Atlanta pulled away 38-29 to end the quarter. Murray led the way with 11 points, while Bogdanovic added seven for the Hawks.
While Atlanta’s offense started off hot, it cooled off a little in the second quarter. Without Murray, the Hawks could not attack downhill or create easy points in the halfcourt. The Pistons took a 55-52 lead largely off Atlanta’s live ball turnovers. Detroit dominated the paint with 36 points in the first-half and cut the Hawks’ lead to 59-58 entering halftime. Marvin Bagley had 12 points and six rebounds, and James Wiseman added 10. Murray and Bogdanovic took control for Atlanta with 17 and 15, respectively.
The third quarter started with both teams in fierce competition- neither team could stop the other, as both sides traded baskets for the majority of the quarter. Ausar Thompson, the impressive rookie for the Pistons, threw down a thunderous dunk, posterizing Clint Capela to tie the game at 70. The crowd at Little Caesars Arena went into a frenzy as the young rookie added to his highlight reel. Thompson hurt Atlanta with baseline cuts many times in the second half. However, Murray caught fire in the third quarter, as he has done multiple times this season, scoring 11 points. Atlanta entered the fourth quarter with an 88-83 lead.
After a poor first-half, Jalen Johnson and Saddiq Bey, were difference-makers down the stretch for the Hawks. The Pistons hung around for the majority of the fourth quarter, keeping the Hawks from building a double-digit lead. Alec Burks hit a clutch three to cut the Hawks lead to 114-113 with just over three minutes to go. With under a minute to go, Murray found Clint Capela on a great look under the basket to put the Hawks up 120-117. Murray then knocked down two free throw’s and Johnson added a mid-range jumper to seal the Atlanta victory.
Murray was fantastic, finishing with 32 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals. Bogdanovic dropped 17 points, while De’Andre Hunter and Johnson each had 16. Bey poured in 19 points off the bench and added two steals. Capela blocked three shots, and Onyeka Okongwu shot a perfect 4-4 from the field for eight points and nine rebounds.
For Detroit, Bagley led the way with a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double. The Pistons scored a whopping 72 points in the paint. Thompson filled up the stat sheet with 21 points, two blocks, three steals and eight rebounds. Detroit got great offensive contributions from its bench. Ivey put up 11 points, Burks had 16 with four threes, Wiseman had 11 and former Hawk Kevin Knox dropped 12 points. Hunter had Cade Cunningham in a straight jacket for most of the game, holding the Pistons’ point guard to nine points on 4-14 shooting.
Atlanta earned their victory in the first in-season tournament game without Young. Hawks fans should keep a watchful eye on Young’s status for Wednesday’s game when the New York Knicks visit State Farm Arena on the second night of a back-to-back. Their next taste of the In-Season Tournament will be Friday at home, as they will host the Philadelphia 76ers.
