San Antonio Spurs Upset Atlanta Hawks 136-121

The Hawks are 26-29.

© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Recap

"We know this group has the ability to be successful, as we saw last year. And we want to give them that opportunity to prove it to the world they can do it again." Those were the words of Atlanta Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk this afternoon.

Less than six hours later, the Hawks were getting run off their home floor by the tanking San Antonio Spurs.

The #Hawks have a new moniker: “Win the race.”

The message is displayed at shootaround this morning, and Nate McMillan said it means they’re just trying to win this stretch before the All-Star break and then win the rest of the season to get in those top six playoff slots. pic.twitter.com/BLaVqzQKav

— Kelly Price (@thekellyprice) February 11, 2022

If you were hoping that putting the trade deadline drama behind this young team would solve their issues, then you were sadly mistaken. All of the familiar symptoms ailing the squad are still there. Inconsistent play, evident lack of hustle, and porous defense.

Speaking of the Hawks defense, they let All-Star Dejounte Murray light them up for 32 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds. Murray got help from starters Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, who combined for 46 points on 65% shooting. As a team, the Spurs shot 55.1% from the field and 56.3% from three.

OH MY GOODNESS, DEV 🤯 pic.twitter.com/wkdBejUwvC

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 12, 2022

Meanwhile, the Hawks struggled on the offensive end of the floor as well. They shot 45.1% from the field and 31% from deep. Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, John Collins, and De'Andre Hunter shot a combined 4-25 from deep. As frustrating as tonight's offensive display was, it's still the defense that's holding this team back.

Coming into this game, the Spurs averaged 111 points. Giving up 136 to a team that was playing shorthanded after the Derrick White trade is unfathomable. The only silver lining is the bench played well again. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the team with 23 points.

Post-Game Interviews

Hawks head coach Nate McMillan sat at the podium with a somber expression. When asked about the team's energy, McMillan said, "Just flat. I don't understand where that came from."

McMillan called into question his team's intensity. "We were just flat. They outworked us and played harder than us. They executed better than us. That happened for 48 minutes. This is a surprise."

Wondering aloud, McMillan added, "Every game is important for us in the position that we are in. To not have that energy. To come out flat as we did, and give up 43 points in that first quarter. We weren't in the building, mentally. We have to figure out what's going on. Mentally, we weren't here to start this game."

I asked Trae Young about the Hawks' energy tonight:

"It’s hard to have energy when they’re making shots and they’re making runs and we’re just not making it, not making plays, so it’s definitely tough to have a lot of energy when they’re making the plays."

— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) February 12, 2022

The Hawks next game is Sunday afternoon on ABC against the Boston Celtics. As always, we will have plenty of content for you between now and tip-off. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

Photos

Gregg Popovich / © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

 San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich looks on from the sideline against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena.

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Dejounte Murray / © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray (5) passes the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. 

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Bogdan Bogdanovic / © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) grabs a loose ball against the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter at State Farm Arena.

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Nate McMillan / © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan looks on from the sideline against the San Antonio Spurs in the first quarter at State Farm Arena.

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Trae Young / © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) looks on against the San Antonio Spurs in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. 

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Stats

Hawks Leaders

Bogdan Bogdanovic - 23 PTS, 5 REB

Trae Young - 18 PTS, 11 AST

Danilo Gallinari - 16 PTS, 9 REB

Spurs Leaders

Dejounte Murray - 32 PTS, 15 AST, 10 REB

Keldon Johnson - 26 PTS, 5 REB

Devin Vassell - 20 PTS, 5 REB

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