During the Friday night NBA slate, Trae Young scored 27 points and had six assists in the Atlanta Hawks‘ 115-108 win over Utah Jazz. De’Andre Hunter added another 26 points. Onyeka Okongwu scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Dejounte Murray had 13 points and eight assists. In its last four road games, Atlanta has won three of them.
“I feel like winning on the road comes down to energy,” Hunter said. “You know the crowd is going to be behind the home team, so we just rally around each other to build that energy. Once we have energy, everything else just flows.”
Early rim penetration paid off for the Hawks. Among their made shots, they had 28 assists and scored 56 points in the paint.
“We have to be aggressive,” coach Nate McMillan said. “We don’t want to just sit out there and settle for the perimeter shots. I think we’re creating opportunities when we’re being aggressive, attacking the rim, attacking the paint.”
Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Mike Conley scored 20 points and dished out eight assists, while Jordan Clarkson scored 24. Despite going 13 of 44 from 3-point range, Utah struggled. In the loss, the Jazz were unable to extend their three-game winning streak at home.
“We did a pretty good job on the shooters all night,” Young said. “I think that helped us.”
NBA SCORES & NEWS: Trae Young, De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks & Utah Jazz Updates
The first half was dominated by Atlanta on both ends of the court. With a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws, Young helped the Hawks build a 60-38 lead late in the second quarter. At halftime, Utah made just five perimeter shots.
“Those tough misses maybe affected us,” Markkanen said. “I felt like I forced (shots) up after I saw a couple roll, so I wanted to go try again.”
NBA SCORES & NEWS: Trae Young, De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks & Utah Jazz Updates
A rally late in the fourth quarter allowed Utah to chip away at its deficit in the second half. A 10-0 run by Clarkson punctuated a 3:17 period in which Atlanta’s lead was cut to 106-101. The Hawks remained in control after Young countered with a three-pointer. As a result of Utah’s inability to get stops after making baskets, Atlanta held off the Jazz in the end.
“They have a lot of very good offensive players, and if you’re not detailed in your defense, they can punish you,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
- Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here.
- Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
