The Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs put on an offensive showcase on Thursday night at the Frost Bank Center. Atlanta beat the Spurs 137-135 after a wild sequence to end the game. With four seconds left, Jeremy Sochan stole Saddiq Bey’s inbound pass and drove in for a layup to tie the game. Trae Young had other plans. He stepped in to draw a game-winning charge, cementing his elite performance and sending Spurs fans home with a frown. Young scored 45 points (15-29 FG), dished out 14 assists and added two steals on the way to an Atlanta victory.
The Hawks got their first look at rookie sensation, Victor Wembanyama, and he went to work early, crossing Clint Capela for an and-one and hitting a three early. San Antonio went up 20-9 early behind Wemby’s 10 and Keldon Johnson’s seven points. After the Hawks fought back to cut the deficit to 24-18, Julian Champagnie came off the bench firing. He went a perfect three-for-three from beyond the arc to give the Spurs a 35-26 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Hawks turned San Antonio turnovers into easy transition buckets to start the second. After both teams went on their own mini 5-0 run, Atlanta put together a 12-2 stretch to take their first lead at 45-44. The Hawks shot 5-8 from the field in the first five minutes of the quarter. As the game headed toward halftime, Jeremy Sochan made his impact felt, knocking down a three and getting past Atlanta’s first line of the defense consistently. He finished the first half with 15 points, while Wemby and Johnson had 12 and 14, respectively. For the Hawks, Young totaled 12 points and seven assists.
During the third frame, both teams shot lights out, trading baskets for much of the quarter. When the Hawks took their second lead of the game at 67-66, Johnson countered immediately with a three. Young turned up the heat in the second half, scoring 20 points in the third quarter alone. He had the last 12 Atlanta points, as the Hawks found themselves down only 105-101 entering the fourth.
Young continued his dominance into the fourth quarter, executing exquisite passes to Onyeka Okongwu off the pick-and-roll to start the final frame. With six minutes left, De’Andre Hunter capped off a 6-0 Atlanta run with a huge three to tie the game at 117. Hunter fouled out of this game with over three minutes left on some questionable calls.
After the game, Young said, “I feel bad for Dre. He couldn’t even play tonight,” referencing the officiating toward the Hawks’ wing defender.
In his return to San Antonio, Dejounte Murray hit a clutch triple to give Atlanta a 121-117 lead with 1:30 left in the game. Young’s incredible shotmaking, including a wild bank shot over Wembanyama’s arm, put the Hawks in a position to come out with the victory. Young later sealed the win, drawing the charge on Sochan.
Atlanta’s backcourt combined for 69 points with Murray scoring 24 points and collecting five steals. Clint Capela put up 12 points and nine rebounds, while Hunter had 12. Bey scored 13 points, including 3-4 from beyond the arc. Okongwu totaled 11 points and eight boards, and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 14 points on 5-10 shooting.
For San Antonio, Jeremy Sochan finished with a career-high 33 points (12-14 FG), six assists and eight rebounds. Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 12 boards and four blocks. He had his way in the first half, but the Hawks’ defense against the rookie improved in the second. Johnson put up a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Devin Vassell provided a spark off the bench for 24 points. Zach Collins scored 11 points and added seven assists, and Champagnie hit five of his eight triples for 15.
Atlanta travels to Milwaukee to face the Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Saturday. Without Jalen Johnson, it will be interesting to see who matches up with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Hawks fans should keep an eye on the starting lineup, as Okongwu, who defends Antetokounmpo well, might be a candidate to start at power forward.
