Atlanta Hawks

Jayson Tatum finished with 38 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 105-95 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

The All-Star forward spearheaded Boston's comeback from down 10 at halftime, with Tatum and Jaylen Brown combining to score 27 of Boston's 42 points in the third quarter. The Hawks managed just 40 total points in the second half, thanks in large part to Tatum taking on the assignment of guarding Trae Young on the defensive end.

Young finished with 30 points and 10 assists but shot 9-of-26 from the field. Atlanta has now lost four of its last five games to drop to 26-30 on the season.

The Celtics are playing their best basketball of the season and are winners of eight straight.

Notable Stats

Celtics
F Jayson Tatum: 38 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
F Jaylen Brown: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
G Marcus Smart: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal

Hawks
G Trae Young: 30 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals
G Bogdan Bogdanovic: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists 
C Clint Capela: 8 points, 17 rebounds, 1 block

Celtics Finding Themselves with Defensive Identity

The Celtics offense still needs work. Even in wins, their offense can devolve into handing the ball to one of the two Jays and begging them to go to work while the rest of the team stands around with cinderblocks strapped to their ankles. The team needs a true point guard to take the reins, and Marcus Smart is miscast in that role. 

On the other end of the floor, there may not be a more locked-in team in basketball at the moment. The Celtics have locked in over the course of their eight-game winning streak, and Derrick White has been an instant-impact fit in closing lineups. The Hawks and Nuggets combined to shoot 8-of-29 in closing minutes over the last two games, with White and Smart emerging as a borderline impenetrable backcourt duo.

Boston now stands a full half-game clear of the Toronto Raptors in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and would avoid the play-in if the season ended today. 

The East is loaded with a bunch of good-but-not-great teams, and these Celtics are making an increasingly strong bid toward being an outside contender. It's a 180-degree turnaround from where the team was two months ago.

Hawks Magic Is Gone

At this time a year ago, the Hawks were in the nascent stage of a turnaround that would ultimately lead them all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. They cashed their chips to the middle of the table to bring the roster back for a run in 2021-22, hopeful the brilliant basketball they played under Nate McMillan would carry over to a full season.

It hasn't.

Not even close.

The Hawks are barely hanging on to the No. 10 spot in the East at the moment, with the Washington Wizards lingering 0.5 games behind. Danilo Gallinari has taken a step back, John Collins has what appears to be a constant sourpuss demeanor on his face (thanks in no small part to constant grade rumors), and the team traded a rising Cam Reddish for seemingly little reason.

Trae Young has continued to play All-Star basketball in a macro sense but remains arguably the streakiest NBA superstar. All four of Atlanta's losses this month have included a series of clangs from Young from beyond the arc, but it's hard to blame Young for attempting to do too much when his teammates have consistently fallen short this season. 

Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins will miss his team's next three games because of a right foot strain, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The All-Star break will begin for the Hawks after that three-game stretch. Per Wojnarowski, the team also plans on treating the injury during the time off, which will be from Feb. 17-23. The Hawks' first post-break game is Feb. 24 against the Chicago Bulls.

Collins is averaging 16.8 points on 53.7 percent shooting and 7.9 rebounds this season.

As noted by The Athletic, Collins last played in his team's 136-121 loss against the Spurs on Friday. He was on the court for 20 minutes but left with right heel pain and did not return.

Losing Collins is a tough blow for a team that's hanging onto the final play-in tournament spot at 26-29. The Hawks have also struggled of late, going 2-4 in their last six contests.

Without him, look for the Hawks to play more Onyeka Okongwu. The second-year big man out of USC has averaged 8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Okongwu subbed in for Collins after he left the Spurs game in the third quarter.

Forward Danilo Gallinari could also see more minutes. The 6'10" forward is averaging 10.4 points in 22.0 minutes per game.

The onus may also be on leading scorer and All-Star Trae Young to assume more offensive responsibilities.

Regardless of how the rotation shakes out, the Hawks will have a pair of tough matchups sans Collins, with games against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers up next. The 32-25 C's have won seven in a row, and the 35-21 Cavs are second in the East.

The Hawks will then close this portion of the schedule against the 13-44 Magic before heading into the break.

Ray Young, the father of Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, said the flurry of moves by Eastern Conference teams ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline is a response to his son leading the Hawks to the conference finals in last year's playoffs.

Atlanta was the surprise team of the 2021 postseason as it eliminated the New York Knicks and then upset the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers before falling short against the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in the East finals.

While it's unlikely front offices are fixated on the Hawks' run as their main motivation to upgrade their own rosters, their journey within two wins of the Finals showed it's still possible to make an unexpected deep run and the East certainly has a wide-open feel right now.

Just 2.5 games separate the No. 1 seed Miami Heat (35-20) and the No. 5 seed Philadelphia 76ers, who completed the biggest trade of all Thursday by acquiring James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets as part of a blockbuster also featuring Ben Simmons, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

It headlined a flurry of moves around the league as several teams tried to bolster their rotations for a potential playoff run. The play-in tournament has increase the number of squads with at least some hope of making some postseason noise.

Young and the Hawks find themselves on the fringe as their 26-28 record ranks 10th in the conference, meaning they hold the final play-in berth as it currently stands. Their level of play will need to improve significantly over the next few months to match last year's run.

Even if Atlanta doesn't emerge as a contender again this season, Young's dad thinks his son's team is still making a major impact on the NBA.

The Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks have reportedly had trade discussions involving forward John Collins ahead of Thursday's deadline.

According to Quinton Mayo of Substack, the Wizards and Hawks have engaged in "numerous conversations," with Collins being at the center of those talks.

Acquiring Collins would require a significant commitment from the Wizards since he signed a five-year, $125 million contract with the Hawks in August and is under contract through at least the 2024-25 season.

The 24-year-old is in the midst of his fifth NBA season, all of which have been spent with the Hawks. He has put up strong numbers throughout his career, and that has largely continued this season, as he is averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 three-pointers made and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 54.1 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Collins is just two years removed from averaging a career-high 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, but the offense now runs through guard Trae Young more than ever before.

In an interview with The Athletic's Chris Kirschner in January, Collins essentially admitted he is frustrated with his role, saying:

"I don't love it, but I'm trying to do my best to try to play through it. I just want to be utilized to the best of my ability to maximize production. I understand that we have a lot of guys on this team who can score. I understand that there has to be some sacrifice for us to reach our goals. I'm trying to be the best pro I can."

With Young leading the way, the Hawks went on a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals as the No. 5 seed.

Collins averaged just 13.9 points per game during the playoffs, though, which is below his career regular-season scoring average of 16.7 points per contest.

The Young-centric offense has led to huge numbers for the Oklahoma product this season, but it hasn't resulted in a ton of team success.

Entering play Wednesday, the Hawks are just 26-28, which is only good enough for 10th in the Eastern Conference. That could compel Atlanta to make a big move in order to shake things up.

Trading Collins would qualify, as he has been the Hawks' No. 2 offensive option since Young entered the league. In the event of a Collins trade, center Clint Capela would likely take on a greater scoring burden in the paint, while Kevin Huerter, Danilo Gallinari, De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic would be asked to do more offensively as well.

Acquiring Collins would be a move for the future from Washington's perspective since star guard Bradley Beal is set to miss the remainder of the season with a wrist injury.

Assuming the Wizards are able to sign Beal to a long-term contract extension during the offseason, Collins could be his main running mate for a long time to come.

It is unclear what the Wizards would be willing or able to offer for Collins aside from draft pick compensation, but Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija are a few of the players who could interest Atlanta.

Expect the Atlanta Hawks to be buyers ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10. 

According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Hawks have been "heavily linked to Philadelphia's Ben Simmons, have been linked to Detroit's Jerami Grant and have interest in Boston's Marcus Smart and Portland's CJ McCollum, sources say."

The Hawks find themselves in an interesting position ahead of Thursday's deadline. After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, they are a disappointing 25-28 this season and currently 10th in the East. 

There were signs the team might be turning things around in January, winning seven straight games, but they've since lost three of their last four. 

That has been the theme for the Hawks this year—streaks of excellent play followed by stretches of mediocrity. 

Still, it's hard to imagine the Hawks shaking things up too much around players like Trae Young and Clint Capela. When the Hawks won two playoff series last year, it was ahead of schedule for a young and developing team. How much of their core would they be willing to move on from now to improve their short-term odds? 

A player like Simmons, for example, would make sense for Atlanta. His excellent defense would cover up a lot of holes, and his ability to attack in transition and serve as another facilitator on offense would take some pressure off of Young as the team's primary playmaker. 

But the Hawks would almost assuredly have to get a third team involved in any deal with the Sixers, making it a complicated proposition. And would such a deal really get them over the hump in the East?

That's the question with all of these prospective targets. Is Grant an upgrade over John Collins, or a player who would be worth giving up on an exciting young player like DeAndre Hunter? And after years of never getting over the hump next to Damian Lillard in Portland, would McCollum really move the needle for the Hawks enough to do so in Atlanta?

Smart is perhaps the best non-Simmons fit given that he would help cover up Young's defensive deficiencies on the perimeter, and his playmaking and leadership would be welcome on the young Hawks. For Atlanta, it would come down to the question of cost. Smart has long had his name floated around in trade buzz, but the Celtics have never moved him. He likely wouldn't come cheap. 

The Hawks have already dealt Cam Reddish. They clearly are willing to make changes. The question will be how much of last year's overachieving group they will be willing to sacrifice to address their present struggles.

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 103-94 on Sunday at American Airlines Center to move to 31-23 on the season. The win comes after the team mounted a 16-point comeback to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-98 on Friday.

Sunday's win was another massive one for Dallas as both Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson were limited in the second half after racking up five fouls each. Despite being limited, Doncic still finished with a triple-double, and the bench was particularly impressive in what has been a phenomenal week for the Mavs.

Dallas is continuing to make a statement in the Western Conference, sitting in fifth place behind the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and the Utah Jazz.

Doncic has been on a tear, and he continues to be a significant reason Dallas continues to rise in the standings. His performance in Sunday's game was nothing short of impressive, especially with Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Sterling Brown and Maxi Kleber out due to injuries.

Notable Stats

Luka Doncic, PG, DAL: 18 PTS, 10 REB, 11 AST, 1 STL

Trae Young, PG, ATL: 17 PTS, 2 REB, 11 AST

Jalen Brunson, PG, DAL: 22 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL

John Collins, PF, ATL: 22 PTS, 18 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL

Reggie Bullock, SF, DAL: 22 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST,  2 STL

De'Andre Hunter, SF, ATL: 14 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST

Mavericks Depth Tested

Doncic and Brunson found themselves in foul trouble in the second half, so Mavs head coach Jason Kidd opted to bench and then rotate the two until the end of the fourth quarter when he put both players back on the floor to close out the game.

With Doncic and Brunson limited, the Dallas bench was tested against the high-scoring Hawks, and it did an impressive job of keeping the team in it until the very end.

Josh Green, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss combined for 18 points, 13 rebounds and two assists in the win. They also played lockdown defense down the stretch, though that should come as no surprise.

The Mavericks entered Sunday's game with the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA, per NBA.com, and they held Atlanta to just 94 points. In addition, they held Young to 0-of-6 shooting from deep.

It's also important to note that the Mavs were missing Porzingis, Hardaway, Brown and Kleber. That makes the performance of their bench that much more impressive and puts into context just how deep the team is.

If the Mavericks can continue getting more contributions out of unlikely players, such as Green, the team has a great chance of making it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Trae Young, Hawks' Offense Struggles

The Hawks offense on Sunday night wasn't good, and that's putting it lightly.

Young, who has starred all season for the franchise, finished with just 17 points in what was his lowest scoring output since a Jan. 26 win over the Sacramento Kings, when he also had just 17 points.

Young also went 0-of-6 from deep, which is quite uncharacteristic for someone who entered the game making 37.8 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

However, this is the second straight game Young has gone without a three-pointer, having gone 0-of-4 from deep against the Toronto Raptors on Friday. It marks the first time this season that he has been held scoreless from deep in two straight games.

In addition to Young, though, the entire Hawks offense struggled. The team made just 37 of 95 shots (38.9 percent) from the floor and five of 25 (20 percent) from deep.

To put those numbers into context, the Hawks entered Sunday's game with the second-best offense in the NBA, averaging 113.5 points per game. They were also making 37.6 of their shots from deep, the best in the league.

In addition, Atlanta hadn't scored less than 100 points since a 115-91 loss to the Miami Heat on Jan. 12.

With the second half of the season well underway and the trade deadline coming up Thursday, the Hawks could look to add some reinforcements to make a push for the playoffs.

However, it all starts with the team being better on offense. If the Hawks want to make another run to the Eastern Conference Finals, they'll need to be much more consistent moving forward. 

What's Next?

The Hawks will host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, while the Mavericks will host the Detroit Pistons.

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the red-hot Suns 124-115 on Thursday at State Farm Arena, putting an end to Phoenix's 11-game winning streak. They are now 25-26 on the season after a slow start. 

Despite being listed as day-to-day with a shoulder injury, Trae Young had another incredible performance for the Hawks. Without him, Atlanta would've found itself in a difficult spot against a Suns team that is one of the best road teams in the NBA. 

The Hawks have mostly struggled at home this season, entering with a 14-12 record. Being able to stop the Suns is quite an accomplishment. If the team can keep that momentum moving forward, it will undoubtedly have the opportunity to make the postseason in a tight Eastern Conference. 

Notable Stats

Trae Young, PG, ATL: 43 PTS, 5 AST, 1 STL

Devin Booker, SG, PHX: 32 PTS, 3 AST, 1 STL

John Collins, PF, ATL: 19 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST

Mikal Bridges, SF, PHX: 24 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL

Kevin Huerter, SG, ATL: 19 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL

Chris Paul, PG, PHX: 18 PTS, 4 REB, 12 AST, 3 STL

Trae Young Unstoppable in Return From Injury

Young missed Monday's game against the Toronto Raptors with a shoulder contusion, and he returned on Thursday against the Suns despite still feeling sore.

Even though he still wasn't 100 percent, the 23-year-old was the best player on the court and was a significant reason why the Hawks ended the Suns' winning streak.

Young finished with 43 points, five assists and one steal on 16 of 25 shooting from the floor and six of 11 shooting from deep.

Performances like this from Young have become all too common, so we shouldn't necessarily be surprised that he can put up solid numbers when not 100 percent.

The All-Star entered Thursday's game averaging 27.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 9.3 assists while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from deep. His average in points is the fourth-most in the NBA behind Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

While Young is known to put up some pretty magnificent performances, some of those have been marred by the inconsistencies of his teammates, which have led to blown leads and losses.

Moving forward, Young's supporting cast will need to contribute like they did on Thursday night if the Hawks want to better their positioning in a tight Eastern Conference.

John Collins, De'Andre Hunter and Kevin Huerter were all impressive Thursday night. They need to keep that momentum moving forward.

Deandre Ayton Still Trying to Find Footing Since Return From Ankle Injury 

Ayton recently returned to the Suns' lineup Tuesday after missing seven games with an ankle injury. After his performance in Thursday's game against Atlanta, it's clear he's still trying to find his footing.

In Tuesday's win over the Brooklyn Nets, the 23-year-old finished with 12 points and six rebounds. On Thursday against the Hawks, he finished with six points, nine rebounds and four assists. 

For comparison, Ayton entered Thursday's game averaging 16.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

The Hawks had their way in the paint and around the rim on Thursday night, finishing with 40 points in the paint and six offensive rebounds. Things could have gone much differently if Ayton had done a better job on defense.

Suns head coach Monty Williams ultimately decided to bench Ayton after he played just 24 minutes, signaling that he needed to be better. Though it should be noted there wasn't much anyone on the Suns could do to stop Young.

Ayton has been somewhat inconsistent this season, and if the Suns want to hold onto their top spot in the Western Conference, they'll need him to be better moving forward.

It'll also be important for Ayton individually to step up as he'll be looking to sign a large contract during the offseason.

What's Next?

The Hawks will travel to face the Toronto Raptors on Friday, while the Suns will be on the road to take on the Washington Wizards on Saturday. 

The Atlanta Hawks came alive in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 129-121 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, but head coach Nate McMillan was concerned with how they played before winning the final period by 18 points.

McMillan told reporters Atlanta was "emotionally drunk" at times during the contest before it calmed down at winning time.

For his part, Trae Young pointed to the officiating and said, "When Tony Brothers mentions to me how many years he's reffed in this league, I don't give a damn. That just gets fired me up. I don't think I'm emotionally drunk. I'm just competitive. It brings the best out of me and my teammates."

Young was issued a technical foul during the second quarter, though he finished with 36 points, 12 assists and five rebounds in the win.

He also took over in crunch time with a go-ahead three-pointer with just more than six minutes remaining before he scored eight points in the final three minutes. It wasn't a one-man show, though, as John Collins notched a double-double of 20 points and 11 boards as one of five Hawks to score in double figures.

Frankly, it was a game the Hawks should have won.

They were at home against a Lakers squad that was missing LeBron James. Los Angeles has struggled to live up to expectations with James this season, so it is particularly vulnerable without its star player on the floor.

The Lakers fell to 24-27 overall and 3-8 in the last 11 games as they continue to tumble down the Western Conference standings as a flawed team that will likely need James and Anthony Davis to play at an unreal level to challenge the best teams in the league come playoff time.

Perhaps McMillan saw an opportunity to notch a straightforward win against a LeBron-less club and grew frustrated with his team's showing until it took over down the stretch. It is also notable Young mentioned an official by name, which likely won't earn him many calls the next time Brothers works a Hawks game.

Ultimately, Atlanta improved to 24-25 with its seventh consecutive victory. It may not reach the Eastern Conference Finals again this season, but the version that has been on the floor lately could challenge some of the top seeds in a series.

That is, only if the players aren't "emotionally drunk" during the games.