In the wake of the announcement of the replacements for the All-Star Game 2022, three star players found themselves on the floor of the State Farm Arena this night: Trae Young on one side, Devin Booker and Chris Paul on the other.
This move did not succeed for the Suns, much less radiant than usual and finally eclipsed logically by the Hawks (124-115). Solid, the latter confirm their rise to power interview for two weeks, while the players of Arizona see their series of 11 consecutive victories come to an end.
Brilliant from start to finish, Trae Young (43 points, 5 assists) was the great architect of Atlanta’s success, leading for most of the game and imperial in the last quarter to resist attempts to come back from Phoenix, instigated by Chris Paul, Devin Booker or even Mikal Bridges (74 points in total).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— Trae Young sends a message. Faced with what is best in the NBA in terms of “backcourt”, the leader of the Hawks had decided to take out his clothes of light. Yet regularly defended by Mikal Bridges, a real snitch in defense, “Ice Trae” had no trouble constantly cooling the hopes of the Suns. In particular in the second half and in this third quarter where he scored 18 points, before planting 9 more in the last act. Including award-winning baskets as difficult and contested as decisive and daring, to kill the best team in the country, on national air, against one of its models (Chris Paul).
— Atlanta’s 3-pt Flood. If the Hawks were able to race in the lead for most of the game, without even having the possibility of shaking in the “money-time” against the most “clutch” team in the league, it is largely thanks to the insolence behind the arc of Trae Young (6/11), Kevin Huerter (5/10), John Collins (3/5), Bogdan Bogdanovic (3/7) or even Danilo Gallinari (2/6). In total, Nate McMillan’s men have scored 20 award-winning baskets (in 41 attempts), or nearly 49% success! Impossible for the Suns, who peaked at 9/32 in the sector, to hold the comparison over time, so…
— Paul, Booker, Bridges… and the others. Between Chris Paul (18 points, 12 assists), Devin Booker (32 points) and Mikal Bridges (24 points, 8 rebounds), it is an understatement to say that the Suns could count on a trio of fire today. However, once is not custom, it was not enough to resist the depth of the workforce of the Hawks, where six players scored more than 10 points. Paul, Booker and Bridges, however, did their best to revive Phoenix again and again in the second half, but they simply came across stronger than them, as Trae Young was unwilling to challenge them. see their series continue.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Kevin Hurter. Already very good against Toronto three days ago, despite the defeat, the “Red Velvet” still delivered an interesting match this night (19 points). In a great evening at 3-pts (5/10), we will particularly remember his heat stroke in the second quarter (12 points in two minutes), which allowed the Hawks to stand out on the scoreboard, to not (almost) no more letting go of the controls afterwards. A capital contribution for Atlanta and the symbol of the insolent success behind the arc of Nate McMillan’s men.
⛔ The Crowder–Ayton duo. Barely back from injury, Jae Crowder and especially Deandre Ayton are still struggling to find their rhythm and their sensations. If Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges regaled, it was thus quite the opposite of their two titular teammates, generally much less iNFLuential offensively (and even defensively) than Cameron Johnson or JaVale McGee, their main post-for-post rotations.
⛔ John Collins’ injury. While he was making the Suns pay for their decision not to use a professional interior in the last quarter, the Hawks power forward had to leave his teammates two minutes from the end of the game . At the origin of this premature exit: an alert in the right shoulder, after an offensive rebound, which earned him quickly writhing in pain. Very bad news for Atlanta, which had just emptied its infirmary.
THE FOLLOWING
Atlanta (25-26) : “back-to-back” in Toronto, this Friday evening (1:30 a.m.).
Phoenix (41-10) : trip to Washington, on the night of Saturday to Sunday (01:00).
