What We Learned From Atlanta's 106-102 Loss to Portland

The Hawks lost their second straight game last night against the Blazers

The Hawks began a five-game road trip last night in Portland and after getting up by 16 points in the first half, Atlanta could not hold on and lost 106-102. The Blazers came on strong on the offensive end of the floor after a poor first quarter and the Hawks could not find a source of offense aside from Dejounte Murray. The Hawks are still shorthanded, but so was Portland and they were able to ride big games from Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton to victory. 

So what did we learn in last night's loss?

1. Dejounte Murray is the only source of offense on Atlanta right now

Ever since Trae Young went down with an injury, the only player on Atlanta that has been able to creat his own offense and get his own shot is Dejounte Murray. He had to have a 41 point game last Friday against the Grizzlies and despite having 40 points last night, Atlanta was not able to win. 

It was not the most efficient 40-point game either. Murray had to take 29 shots, nearly twice as much as the next player. It might not have been efficient, but it was necessary because of the limited options the Hawks have around them. 

Bogdan Bogdanovic has not played well since Young went down with an injury and that contined last night. Bogdanovic shot 3-15 from the field and 2-9 from three. He is the second best offensive player on Atlanta and when he shoots like that, it is going to be tough for the Hawks to be competitve. 

It wasn't just Bogdanovic though. De'Andre Hunter was 4-12, and Vit Krejci and Wesley Matthews combined for 10 points. Until Young and Jalen Johnson return, Atlanta is going to have to have guys step up and not make Murray have to shoot nearly 30 times just to have a functional offense. 

Mar 13, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) passes the ball during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers guard Matisse Thybulle (4) and center Deandre Ayton (2) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

2. The third quarter by Portland was the difference

Atlanta started off well on defense against Portland, holding them to 17 points in the first quarter, but that quickly went the other way. After having a good second quarter to cut the Atlanta lead to only five going into halftime, Portland won the third quarter 35-23 and 21 of those points came from Ayton and Simons, who had terrific games. Atlanta was 6-12 on three, but still lost the quarter by 12 points because they could not score in other ways and their defense could not stop Portland. 

3. De'Andre Ayton was arguably the best player on the floor

Murray led all scorers with 40 points and Ayton's own teammate had more points than him, but Ayton controlled this game with his ability to hit jump shots and dominate on the glass. Ayton not only had 33 points, but 19 rebounds. He was 15-20 from the field and was able to score that many points without taking many free throws. It was arguably Ayton's best game of the season and it gave Portland a win. 

Atlanta Loses 106-102 on the Road in Portland Despite 40 Points From Dejounte Murray