The Atlanta Hawks win at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers 82-100. Despite not having one of the best shot defenders in the league in Clint Capela during their matchup, the Hawks managed to come out on top. John Collins along with Danilo Gallinari both contributed the most by leading the Hawks to their victory scoring at least 20 a piece. More players from the roster showed an appearance scoring on the floor other than Trae Young. As for the Cavaliers it was a silent night for them not scoring much as usual. They were led by their point guard Collin Sexton with 15 points.
Player Of The Game
As stated before the Atlanta Hawks were down a center in the matchup against the Cavaliers. At first I was unsure about how the score would turn out due to them being short of their dominant in Clint Capela. However, John Collins brought intensity in scoring and crashing the boards while defending Atlanta’s home court. He sets a new career high in rebounds during the game, raking in 12 huge boards for the Hawks. Collins has proven that he can lead his team by being aggressive on the floor even in the midst of losing players.
Biggest Concern
The biggest concern for the Hawks is that they were not leading the entire game. It wasn’t until the 4th quarter until they began closing out on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Surprisingly with the Hawks being down a key defender the team could be better when hitting the floor looking to create plays for one another. Yes, moving the ball is essential but 15 turnovers in a game are too many errors that could potentially impact the game. The Atlanta Hawks normally like to play at a fast pace, whenever the ball slows down it allows the team to make the the right passes in transition.
Surprise Contributor
Nathan Knight had a solid matchup. He normally plays just 6.8 minutes per game. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers he was 1 rebound away from a double double, putting up 16 points and 9 rebounds. The Atlanta Hawks should consider playing the hungry rookie in more games. The Hawks are already a young team; by getting Nathan on the floor more could be a help to the team on both ends of the floor. With him being just two inches away in height from his teammate Clint Capela, the 6 foot 10 rookie brings in needed height advantage for the Hawks.
Next Game
Vs. Houston Rockets, Tuesday March 16, 2021 at 5:00 PM Pacific
Never miss your teams next game. Download thePeachBasket‘s Next Game widget available at the Google Play store.
