The Atlanta Hawks topped the Memphis Grizzlies on the road Friday night, 99-92. Dejounte Murray matched his career-high of 41 points to give the Hawks their third win in a row.
Murray was spectacular all night, shooting 17 of 25 from the field overall, while converting 6 of his 10 three-point attempts. Heather was also able to grab 7 rebounds, dish out 6 assists and swipe 2 steals. Memphis had no answer for the young guard at all three scoring-levels.
The entire Hawks’ starting lineup was a positive +/- rating on the night. Generally, a good formula for success. Bogdan Bogdanovic stuffed the stat-sheet and finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks, in 35 minutes of action. Clint Capela had a bounce back game on his way to his 25th double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
With a 99-92 score line, this had a feel of an “old school game” or pre-2010’s feel. Atlanta was able to ride the coattails of Murray and his 41-point effort-ironically 41% of the teams’ points. Solid defense coupled with good communication and effort lead to Atlanta’s victory.
The Hawks look to continue this brand of basketball against the New Orleans Pelicans at home Sunday night. With the season winding down, each game’s importance rises. Tip-off for Sunday’s game is at 6:00 p.m. eastern.
