The Atlanta Hawks were hammered by the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night, losing by a final score of 128-103.
The injury report was crowded entering this matchup with Atlanta missing: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Trae Young, Clint Capela, in addition to Dejounte Murray and John Collins, who are both still on the mend from left-ankle sprains. Memphis was far from full strength as well, missing three starters: Ja Morant, Steven Adams and Desmond Bane.
Despite the injuries on both sides, there was not much positive for the Hawks in this one. Thanks to 20 offensive rebounds and 22 Grizzlies turnovers, Atlanta actually took 21 more shots than Memphis – 104 to 83 in shot disparity. However, the offense did not fare well without Murray or Young for the first time all season. Atlanta shot a sub-par 35.6% from the field, their worst mark this season, including a putrid 14-40 mark near the rim.
On the defensive end of the floor, Atlanta allowed Memphis to shoot an astounding 60% from the field overall, including a 13-32 shooting performance from beyond the arc.
The only silver lining for the team last night would be that it was not a game that they were expected to win. Playing the second night of a back-to-back after an overtime game without five of the team’s top scoring options was an uphill battle. The Hawks only hit three 3-pointers combined in the second and third quarters of last night’s game, which is simply not a formula for success in the modern NBA.
De’Andre Hunter was the high man for the team, finishing with 19 points on 7-16 shooting, in his second game back since returning from a hip injury. A.J. Griffin started the game with a 12-point first quarter, but only finished with 13 points on the night. Aaron Holiday added 15 points, 6 assists, along with 4 steals. Onyeka Okongwu managed to snag an impressive 7 offensive rebounds, stepping in for Capela. Unfortunately for Okongwu, last night’s game shed a glaring spotlight on the difference in rim protection between him and Capela, as the Hawks surrendered 74 points in the paint.
For Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Tyus Jones led the way. Jackson Jr. was playing volleyball with the Hawks shots at the basket, racking up 8 blocks to go along with his 15 points and 7 boards. Jones, the NBA’s assist-to-turnover ratio champion, was in prime form, finishing with 22 points, 11 assists, and 3 steals. Dillon Brooks chipped in with 18 points and Santi Aldama continued his impressive play this season, scoring 16 points for the Grizzlies, as well.
Rarely does a team put up both its worst offensive and defensive performance in the same night, but alas, the Hawks found themselves in this situation on game 28. Atlanta looks to get the bad taste out with a trip down to Orlando to take on the Magic Wednesday night. Atlanta has beaten Orlando twice already earlier this year, making this a great opportunity for this team to get back on track. Wednesday’s game tips off at 7:00 p.m. eastern from Orlando’s Amway Arena.
