The Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 124-118 at State Farm Arena on Thursday night. When these two teams meet, many games result in a track meet with a lot of fastbreak points and turnovers on both sides. However, this was not one of those contests. Atlanta only had eight turnovers, while Indiana committed 11, leading to just 23 fastbreak points combined.
The Hawks found themselves down 88-94 heading into the fourth quarter. Head Coach Quin Snyder went with a lineup that included Dyson Daniels, Mouhamed Gueye, and Clint Capela. While the offense struggled, Atlanta got enough stops to creep back into the game, paving the way for Zaccharie Risacher and Georges Niang to hit three triples. The Hawks took a 107-102 lead with 6:30 left and never relinquished it. They held the Pacers to 24 fourth-quarter points on 45% shooting and 20-10 from downtown.
While the Hawks had no surprises on the injury report, Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin missed this game. This meant more players for Indiana had to step up their scoring. Pascal Siakam responded, posting 35 points and nine rebounds on 12-18 shooting. The Pacers star hit many face-up jumpers from mid-range and drove through the teeth of Atlanta’s defense. Myles Turner had 17 points with nine rebounds, while three-point specialist Aaron Nesmith hit four triples for 21 points.
The Hawks collected 32 assists as a team. Trae Young had 22 points and 16 assists, but perhaps the most impressive part of his box score? Only one turnover. Young controlled the game’s tempo, routinely finding his guys in the paint. Atlanta dominated Indiana down low, winning the paint battle 74-46. Onyeka Okongwu played a big part in this area, posting a 20-point, 13-board double-double on 7-8 shooting. Niang delivered 12 points in the final frame to finish with 24 points (10-15 FG) and four threes, while Daniels scored 17.
The Hawks are amid a six-game homestand and face Indiana again on Saturday in the 63rd contest of the campaign.
