On Tuesday night, the Atlanta Hawks achieved a 116-105 win over the Miami Heat in part of the NBA Play-In Tournament. The Hawks earned the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture as a result, and they were led by Trae Young’s 25 points and Clint Capela’s 21 rebounds.
“Our guys are trying to be the best version of ourselves at the end of the year,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “The year’s not over. So hopefully we can take this and continue to build on it. It’s one game — but it was our game.”
Dejounte Murray showed off why he’s made the Hawks an improved team after being brought into the fold via trade following Atlanta losing 4-1 to the Heat in last year’s first-round series. He scored 18 points for the Hawks, helping to solidify a first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics.
Kyle Lowry’s highest volume scoring performance in his Miami Heat career proved insufficient to achieve the win. He scored 33 points to set the tone with Tyler Herro’s 26 points and Jimmy Butler’s 21 points also being significant. The Heat now have to play the winner of the 9/10 play-in matchup involving the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls for a chance to qualify for the 8th seed in the East.
“Come Friday, we have to play the legit exact opposite of how we played tonight,” Butler said.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS SCORES: Atlanta Hawks & Miami Heat Updates
The Hawks, led by Capela, had a major advantage on the boards against a smaller Heat squad that often switches everything defensively. Atlanta outrebounded Miami 63-39, led by a staggering 22-6 disparity on the offensive boards, creating a 20-point differential in second-chance scoring.
“We all understand the moment and the time of year it is,” Young said. “Credit our guys for being locked in, ready and focused on the game plan.”
Almost all of what was a 24-point lead with 2:37 left in the first half – 63-39 for Atlanta – evaporated in the first 3:53 of the third quarter. By halftime, Miami cut the margin to 15 before opening the third quarter 16-6. All told, the Heat got within 71-66 with a 27-8 run in about 7 minutes after the break.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS SCORES: Atlanta Hawks & Miami Heat Updates
When the Heat made a run, the Hawks often responded. Atlanta led by 13 entering the final period. When Miami cut the deficit down to six midway through the fourth quarter, the Hawks scored five straight to go up by double figures.
“Nothing about this season has been easy,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’re going to do this the hard way.”
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