Pascal Siakam’s 33-point performance, complemented by Scottie Barnes’ double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds, led the Toronto Raptors to a 135-128 victory over the Atlanta Hawks during Wednesday’s NBA action, snapping their four-game losing streak.
O.G. Anunoby contributed 22 points in the first game of a two-game series at home against the Hawks. Dennis Schroder, a former Hawks player, added 17 points, surpassing the 10,000-point mark in his career, while Jakob Poeltl had 15 points and tied his season-high with 13 rebounds.
Poeltl highlighted the Raptors’ strategy to exploit the Hawks’ defensive weaknesses and credited the team’s success to their proficiency from the perimeter. Siakam also had a notable night, matching a season-high with five 3-pointers, contributing to the Raptors’ impressive 18 of 34 shooting from beyond the arc. This performance was close to their season-best of 19 3-pointers.
“They had some holes on defense, and we tried to attack that,” Poeltl said. “It really helped that we made our outside shots as well.”
NBA SCORES & NEWS: Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks Updates
Despite the high score, Hawks coach Quin Snyder acknowledged his team’s defensive efforts, albeit in a losing cause.
“We had some breakdowns but I thought our guys really competed,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “It’s hard to say when a team scores (135), but I thought we played good defense.”
Trae Young led the Hawks with 35 points and a season-high 17 assists, a feat he also achieved earlier in a loss to New York. Bogdan Bogdanovic, coming off a career-high 40 points in the previous game, scored 20 points, including a 10-point effort in the fourth quarter. Dejounte Murray also added 20 points for Atlanta. Onyeka Okongwu expressed confidence in the team’s ability to improve, noting the season’s length.
“It’s a long season,” Okongwu said. “We’re only a quarter of the way through. We know that we have time, a lot of time, to turn it around.”
NBA SCORES & NEWS: Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks Updates
Siakam’s strong start, with 14 points in the first quarter and 10 in the second, wasn’t enough to prevent the Hawks from leading 66-64 at halftime. However, Toronto’s sharpshooting in the third quarter, making nine of 12 from 3-point range, helped them outscore Atlanta 39-29 and take a 103-95 lead into the final quarter.
Coach Snyder emphasized the challenge of defending the Raptors, pointing out the need to balance protecting the rim and contesting perimeter shots.
“You try to take away the rim first with this team because they’re so good, all their guys attack the rim,” Snyder said. “When you collapse in the paint and shut that down, you’ve got to get back out and you’re not always going to block a shot.”
NBA SCORES & NEWS: Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks Updates
The Hawks were without Jalen Johnson due to a fractured left wrist and De’Andre Hunter because of a right knee issue.
The Raptors and Hawks are set for a rematch in Toronto on Friday night.
