The Atlanta Hawks won their third straight game at State Farm Arena, downing the Miami Heat, 120-110, on Saturday. The Hawks pulled off the victory, despite Dyson Daniels (illness) and Bogdan Bogdanović (leg) missing this game. Jimmy Butler sat out due to reconditioning, so both squads were key pieces.
Head Coach Quin Snyder started Vít Krejčí, and he drew the primary defensive assignment on Tyler Herro. Miami’s guard continued his breakout season with 28 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. Even though Herro had a great game, Atlanta’s team defense was solid for most of the game.
In his postgame press conference, Snyder thought his team’s “execution defensively was solid.” He also pointed out De’Andre Hunter’s contributions on defense, as he had to guard the ball a lot more with Daniels sidelined. Hunter had another ultra-efficient night, shooting 8-14 from the field for 26 points. He has now scored at least 20 points in 11 of his last 15 contests.
After dropping a career-high 30 points two nights ago, Jalen Johnson followed up that performance with 28 points, 13 boards, five assists, and two steals against the Heat. He was particularly effective against Miami’s zone defense, slashing to the rim and finishing through contact. When I asked Johnson about his success in the paint against the zone, he credited Trae Young’s passing and Garrison Mathews’ shooting for allowing him to be aggressive.
“They opened up a lot. A lot of times they were over-helping on our shooters… and Trae will get the ball to you in the seam,” Johnson replied.
Young managed 11 points on 3-13 shooting but dished out 15 assists compared to three turnovers and had 11 dimes at halftime. Mathews shot 4-7 from beyond the arc for 18 points and added a poster dunk around Miami’s rookie center, Kel’el Ware. Between Mathews, Hunter, and Larry Nance Jr.’s 10-point, 10-rebound double-double, Atlanta’s bench outscored Miami’s 59-27.
Neither team held a double-digit lead in this game before the final stretch of the fourth quarter. The Hawks went scoreless in the final frame from 10:00 to 7:00 on the game clock, but their defense kept them in front. Toward the middle portion of the period, it was clear Snyder was going to close with Young, Mathews, Hunter, Johnson, and Nance. Miami began targeting Nance in pick-and-roll actions. Herro got lose for a mid-ranger and three to cut the Atlanta’s lead to 108-107 with three minutes left.
The Hawks’ defense stepped up inside the final minutes, fueling a 9-0 run, stopping any momentum the Heat had. Atlanta came up with five straight stops to seal the victory.
The Hawks travel to take on the Toronto Raptors in the second half of a back-to-back on Sunday night. Atlanta will battle for its fourth-straight win.
