Trae Young Gets Real About Opposing Role Players Having Big Nights Vs the Hawks

The Hawks lost their third consecutive game last night in a 129-119 defeat vs the Mavericks

Nov 25, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks (7-11) dropped their third straight game last night in a 129-119 defeat vs the Dallas Mavericks and it was a familiar sight for Hawks fans. Atlanta has been the worst team in the NBA when it comes to opponent three-point attempts and opponent three-point percentage and that was a problem last night. Not only that but seemingly every game, role players have huge nights vs the Hawks or break out of shooting slumps vs the Hawks. Last night, Jaden Hardy (23 points) and Spencer Dinwiddie (22 points) set season highs in points, and Naji Marshall continued his hot streak. While Kyrie Irving scored 30 points (16 in the fourth), that should be expected especially with Dallas missing Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson. The Hawks have done a poor job of guarding the opposing role players and trying to limit them and it is costing them games.

Four players scored 20+ points for the Mavs in tonight’s win at ATL: Kyrie Irving (32), Jaden Hardy (season-high 23), Spencer Dinwiddie (season-high 22) and Naji Marshall (22).

It marked the first time since 1/29/24 vs. ORL that Dallas had four 20-point scorers in the same game. pic.twitter.com/Q70pwcDN79

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) November 26, 2024

Last night, Hawks point guard Trae Young was asked about this and gave a very honest answer:

"I mean, that's the plan. I don't think any of us expect teams to come in and feel like they might have a bad night right now. Everybody's shooting well. Everybody's scoring well right now. So it's definitely frustrating because you can see the scouting report and you watch film and guys are not playing the way they're doing when they come here. So we got to force that though. So we can't just think it's going to happen when they come in here. We've got to make it happen and force them to miss more shots. So that's why I know it's on the defense and the coaching staff and the staff to... So it's kind of maybe sometimes forced the other guys to be this way. It's not just them. Us as players, we've got to do a better job out there on the court so everyone has to be better"

he Dallas Mavericks were on the second night of a back-to-back, having gone to overtime in a loss to the Miami Heat last night and they were without Luka Doncic, Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, and Dante Exum. This was a great opportunity for the Hawks to get a win at home to end their three-game losing streak, but they could not take advantage of the opportunity. There have been a lot of inexcusable losses this year for the Hawks, but tonight was one of the worst. The Hawks had every reason to win this game, but they did not. What makes the loss even harder to stomach is the fact that Mavs star Kyrie Irving was not shooting well in the game until the 4th quarter. The Mavs role players stepped up more than the Hawks did and it was costly.

Dallas outscored the Hawks 68-52 in the second half and when a team is typically on a back-to-back, they can run out of gas in the second half. That was not true tonight. Irving scored 22 of his 32 points tonight in the second half, with 16 coming in the 4th quarter. Atlanta did as good of a job as you can early on guarding a great scorer like Irving, but he started making shots in the second half.

The Hawks go back on the road tomorrow night to face the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the best record in the NBA.

Additional Links:

Kyrie Irving Comes Alive In 4th Quarter as Dallas Defeats Atlanta 129-119

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