Saddiq Bey Wins The Game At The Buzzer For The Hawks and Snaps Their Four-Game Losing Streak

Atlanta is now 19-27 heading into their matchup with the Lakers on Tuesday

Both teams had late additions to the injury report that had to be monitored throughout the afternoon. RJ Barrett was ruled out for the Raptors and Dejounte Murray was a very late scratch for the Hawks in this game. The Raptors came into this game already without Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poetl and would have to find a way to beat the Hawks without Barrett as well. 

Atlanta started Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson, and Clint Capela. Toronto started Dennis Schroder, Gary Trent Jr, Bruce Brown, Scottie Barnes, and Thaddeus Young. The Raptors had lost eight out of their last nine games and the Hawks had lost four straight, so something had to give in this game. 

The first quarter was dominated by the Hawks and their size. Without Poetl and not a lot of depth at the center position, the Hawks made it a point to go to the rim and try to score in the paint. At the first timeout with 7:46 left in the first quarter, Atlanta led 14-10 and already had five dunks so far. 

Hawks head coach Quin Snyder stuck to his normal rotations tonight. Trent Forrest, Patty Mills, Onyeka Okongwu, and Garrison Matthews were the primary bench players tonight. 

The Raptors could not find their shot was using their size to control the glass and the points in the paint. Atlanta led 30-18 and Capela was having a huge first quarter with 10 points and five rebounds. the Hawks were outscoring Toronto 24-10 in the paint and Capela was a big reason why. The Hawks led 34-26 after the first, despite being just 1-8 from three in the opening quarter. Bey had nine points, while Bogdanovic had seven. 

The second quarter was a completely different story though. 

Hawks point guard Trae Young vs the Raptors / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto started the second quarter on an 18-3 run run and looked like they were taking control of the game. They led by as many as nine, but the Hawks were able to close the half strong and keep the game close. Toronto outscored the Hawks 35-23 in the second quarter and took a four-point lead into the half. 

In the first half, Atlanta shot 44% from the field and a horrific 14% from three. A huge difference in the second quarter was how the Raptors were able to have a strong shooting performance from behind the arc and the Hawks were struggling to connect from deep. 

Toronto shot 49% from the field and 56% from three in the first half. Gary Trent Jr led the way with 13 points and Jordan Nwora had 11 off the bench. 

Bogdanovic led the way for the Hawks with 15 and both Capela and Bey had 12. Young was passing the ball well but was not doing much in the way of scoring. 

Atlanta needed a strong start in the second half and that is what they got. 

Atlanta started the third quarter on a 15-4 and took the lead. The Atlanta offense could not be stopped and while they were still struggling to shoot the three, they shot 57% from the floor in the quarter and both Trae Young and Saddiq Bey were having huge performances in the quarter. They led the Hawks to a 40-point third quarter and the Hawks led 97-95 going to the final quarter. Young and Bey combined for 23 of the Hawks' 40 points in the third. It was going to be a close finish and the Hawks offense set them up for success. 

The fourth quarter was going much like the third. The Hawks could not be stopped on offense and looked like they were going to snap their losing streak at home. They led 116-112 with 3:34 left in the game, but Toronto was not going to go out quietly. 

With the Hawks leading 118-116, Schroder missed a shot for Toronto, leading to a foul on the other end. Young hit both free throws and extended the lead to 120-116 with 1:44 left. Toronto quickly got down the court and Scottie Barnes drew a foul and headed to the free-throw line. He made both and the lead was down to two. 

The Hawks missed on the other end and the Raptors came back down the court and Gary Trent Jr nailed another three to take the lead 121-120 with 1:11 left. The Hawks had another miss after Trent's three and Bruce Brown nailed two more free throws for the Raptors to make the lead 123-120 with under a minute left. It looked like the Hawks were about to let this game slip away. 

Trae Young knew the Hawks needed a quick basket and he got down the court, drew a foul, and hit both free throws to make it 123-122 with under a minute left. Toronto got the ball after the foul shots and Trent missed a three to end effectively end the game. Young drove the ball and nailed a shot to give the Hawks a 124-123 lead with just 26 seconds remaining. It looked like Toronto had only one more shot to win the game. 

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Then things got crazy. 

Toronto missed its first attempt, then got the rebound, and the missed again. The Hawks got the turnover, but rookie guard Grady Dick stole the ball and got Toronto back down the court to score and take the lead with seven seconds left. 

Trailing by one, Young drove the ball to the basket, missed, but Saddiq Bey was right there to dunk the ball into the basket and win the game for the Hawks. Atlanta avoided losing its fifth straight game and beat a shorthanded Toronto team 126-125. 

Saddiq Bey follow dunk FOR THE WIN 🚨 pic.twitter.com/LIWZGoadvS

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 29, 2024

The Hawks did not play a great game, but they won and that is all that matters to them, especially after the embarrassment of Friday night against Dallas. 

For the game, Atlanta shot 46% from the floor and 22% from three. It was amazing that the Hawks were able to win the game while not being able to shoot from three, but they got it done. Young finished with 30 points and 12 assists, Bey finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds (his best game of the year by far), and Bogdanovic had 24 points. 

Toronto shot 46% from the field and 48% from three in this game. Barnes and Jordan Nwora had 24 points each. 

The Hawks won this game by outscoring the Raptors in the paint 76-52. Toronto shot the ball better from three and their bench outscored the Hawks 56-10, but big games from Young and Bey, as well as the Hawks dominating near the basket, led to a relieving win for Atlanta. 

Atlanta's next game is a home date with the Lakers on Tuesday at 7:30. 

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