The Atlanta Hawks pulled away late to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 138-122 on Tuesday night at State Farm Arena. De’Andre Hunter returned to the rotation for the first time in 19 games and came off the bench on a minutes restriction. Anthony Davis missed this game for the Lakers due to a left hip spasm, so Jaxson Hayes started at center.
Both squads started attacking the paint right from the opening tip. Austin Reaves opened the scoring with a finger roll, and LeBron James drove inside for an and-one. The Hawks started 3-9 from the field and committed three early turnovers but righted the ship quickly. Trae Young and Jalen Johnson found Clint Capela for some easy buckets. 22 of Atlanta’s first 24 points came in the painted area, and the other two came on two Saddiq Bey free throws. When Bogdan Bogdanović subbed in, he scored or assisted in his first three possessions, and Hunter knocked down a triple for a 7-0 Hawks run. Atlanta led 36-29 after the first quarter and shot 65% from the field. Every Hawk scored, with Bey and Dejounte Murray leading the way with eight points each.
In the second frame, Young threw a lob from the logo to Jalen Johnson for an emphatic slam, energizing the State Farm Arena Crowd. The Hawks stretched their lead to 46-37 with damage in transition. This game was the second half of a back-to-back for the Lakers, so Atlanta wanted to get out in transition whenever it could to score easy buckets. Young found himself wide open for multiple three-point looks, as he hit his first six shots from deep. Austin Reaves got into a rhythm from mid-range keeping the Lakers within striking distance. The Hawks took a 67-56 lead into the locker room. Every Hawk except for Hunter and Garrison Mathews shot over 50% from the field. Murray and Young dished out seven dimes each, and the Hawks shot 7-17 from beyond the arc compared to Los Angeles’ 2-13.
The Hawks began the third quarter on a 6-0 run. They ballooned the lead to 84-67 out-hustling the Lakers for loose balls and imposing their will on the offensive glass. Capela and Bey took advantage of Davis’ absence, combining for nine offensive rebounds. Many of those led to open kick-out threes. However, Los Angeles made two separate 7-0 runs toward the end of the frame. Rui Hachimura and Reaves were catalysts to bring the Hawks’ lead down to 12 points. Bogdanović slowed down the first Lakers’ push with a couple of three’s, giving Hawks fans a sigh of relief. Young continued his success from deep with a three to cut the Lakers’ momentum in the second run. Atlanta’s star guard totaled 11 points in the frame leading the Hawks to a 103-88 advantage heading into the final quarter.
The Lakers decreased the deficit to ten points at the beginning of the fourth, but the Hawks never allowed the Lakers to get closer than that. Los Angeles did not do any favors for itself shooting 5-13 from the free throw in the second half midway through the fourth quarter. At one point, Hachimura and James missed four consecutive free throws, and the Hawks took advantage of the Lakers’ missed opportunities. Murray led the way with a 10-point quarter down the stretch with three straight mid-range jumpers to put the game out of reach. At the three-minute mark, Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham emptied his bench, and Quin Snyder followed. It was good to see Kobe Bufkin get minutes to seal the victory for Atlanta.
Young finished with 26 points, 13 assists and shot 6-9 from beyond the arc, while Murray totaled 24 points, nine assists, two steals and shot 11-19 from the field. Bey dropped 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Capela added a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double. Johnson scored 19 and collected 11 boards, and Bogdanović added 18 points on 4-9 shooting from downtown off the bench.
For the Lakers, James finished with 20 points, eight assists and nine rebounds. Reaves was a bright spot offensively with 28 points on 10-19 shooting, and Hachimura shot an efficient 7-11 from the field for 16 points. Jarred Vanderbilt added 12 points. Los Angeles only had four guys score in double-digits compared to Atlanta’s seven.
The Hawks continue their homestand on Friday night when the Phoenix Suns come to State Farm Arena. Atlanta’s defense needs to be ready because Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal stand in the way of a Hawks three-game winning streak.
