The Atlanta Hawks won their fourth straight game and continue to climb the Eastern Conference standings after their road win over the Dallas Mavericks. Dejounte Murray led the Atlanta Hawks with 30 points in the 130-122 win at the American Airlines Center.
Murry steps to the mic
It was supposed to be the battle of the two stars from the 2018 NBA Draft as Luka Doncic and Trae Young squared off, but Murray stole the show. Doncic sat out the Mavs last game in Portland with a bummed ankle, but there was no doubt he would be on the floor to face his draft classmate.
The Hawks jumped off to a hot start lighting up the score board thanks to Murray’s sharp shooting and Young’s vision off the pick and roll and in transition. He had five first quarter assists as Atlanta scored 40 in the first 12 minutes.
Luka Doncic had 19 points in the first quarter, but the Mavs turned the ball over seven times as their choppy start saw them fall behind in the open minutes of the game.
Young bounces back from ankle scare
Atlanta had a scare at the end of the first quarter when Young twisted his ankle on a cameraman’s foot under the basket. He had to go to the locker room, but returned after a short absence in the second quarter.
The scoring slowed down once Young was briefly sidelined and Doncic headed to the bench, and the Hawks led the entire first half.
Dallas came out and took the lead early in the third quarter on their way to a 14-0 run that looked like it was going to turn the tides. Doncic and the Mavs built up an eight point lead, but just when it seemed like the home side was taking control Murray stopped the run by rattling off five straight points and from then on the game was on a knifes edge until the end.
In the end, Luka’s 30 points weren’t enough as eight different Hawks scored double digits including Young who had 18 and 12 assists and John Collins had another 19.
Two teams going in opposite directions
Young finished off the Mavs with his signature floater to stretch the lead to six points with under a minute to go and give the Hawks their fourth straight win and sixth in their last eight games while the Mavs drop their third straight and seventh in their last nine.
