Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks seemed to be improving when they unexpectedly made it to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.
However, this turned out to be short-lived.
What followed were three seasons of frustrating mediocrity, bringing the Hawks back to their usual spot in the middle of the pack.
Now, with a focus on defense and a deeper roster, Atlanta is showing signs of promise again.
The Hawks beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 134-132 in overtime on Friday for their sixth consecutive win, marking their longest winning streak in almost three years.
“The challenge of this is don’t get comfortable,” said Young, who hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds left. “It’s easy to get comfortable after you win a few games and feel good about yourself.”
Young had an impressive performance with 31 points and 20 assists, helping balance out LeBron James’ 39 points and Anthony Davis’ 38 points.
But the key to the Hawks’ recent success—also earning a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals—has been the contributions from other players around Young.
Seven Hawks scored in double figures against the Lakers, including three players off the bench. Former starter De’Andre Hunter has thrived in a sixth-man role since recovering from a knee injury, scoring 26 points and drawing a double team that freed up Young for the game-winning 3-pointer.
“This wasn’t the first night that it’s been like this,” Young said. “Even in some of our losses, we had a lot of guys scoring, so we’ve just gotta keep it going. Now that we’ve got guys healthy, we’ve found a little rhythm.”
After Hunter was injured in the first week of the season, the Hawks moved No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher into the starting lineup.
Although the 19-year-old Frenchman is still developing, bringing Hunter off the bench has worked well. He is averaging more than 19 points per game and remains one of the team’s top defenders.
Then there’s Dyson Daniels, acquired in a trade that sent Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans, which looked like the start of a rebuilding phase for the Hawks.
Though Daniels didn’t stand out much in New Orleans, the 6-foot-8 guard with long arms has added another defensive player to the Hawks’ lineup. He made two key plays in the final moments of overtime, starting with a steal on a careless pass from Davis to James.
The steal didn’t lead to points, as James quickly made a block on Daniels’ drive to the hoop, returning the ball to the Lakers.
But Daniels didn’t give up. He helped tie up the taller Davis for a jump ball, and the Hawks got one last shot when James tipped the ball out of bounds while fighting with Hunter for possession.
Young made the Lakers pay.
“It’s just effort,” Hunter said. “That’s what Dyson does. That’s how he plays. I feel like I play the same way. At the end of the game, we need some plays, defensive plays, and me and Dyson being the premier defensive guys on the team, we have to make those plays.”
The Hawks still have to prove that this recent success isn’t just a temporary stretch.
“The challenge for us going forward,” Young said, “is how do we continue to do what we’ve been doing and getting stops and letting the offensive side take care of itself and play through each other?”
