Trae Young Drops 19 and 14 as Hawks Rout Luka Doncic, Mavs to Open Season
The Atlanta Hawks earned a 113-87 win over the Dallas Mavericks at home in the season opener for both teams on Thursday. Six players scored in double figures to lead the way for Atlanta, led by Cam Reddish's 20 points off the bench.
Hawks star point guard Trae Young had 19 points and dished out 14 assists.
The Hawks also played stellar defense and held the Mavericks to 33.3 percent from the field and 30.2 percent (13-for-43) from three-point range.
The win ends a two-game losing streak against Dallas for the Hawks, who were swept in last year's two-game regular-season series.
Notable Player Stats
Hawks
F Cam Reddish: 20 points off the bench
G Trae Young: 19 points, 14 assists
Mavericks
G Luka Doncic: 18 points (6-for-17 shooting), 11 rebounds, 7 assists
Hawks Blow the Game Open in Third Quarter
The Hawks took control and ran away with the game after halftime, opening the third quarter with a 22-8 run and outscoring the Mavericks 35-20 in the period.
Young, who was held to seven points in the first half, scored 12 points in the third and did a good job orchestrating the offense to set up his teammates for easy scores. He had nine assists in the third quarter alone.
The Hawks also clamped down defensively and made things difficult for the Mavericks both inside and outside.
Young wasn't very efficient, shooting 6-of-16 from the field. But the Hawks also received a ton of contributions from their supporting cast. Along with Reddish's 20 points, John Collins added 16 points and nine rebounds, Clint Capela had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 11 points each.
The Hawks' balanced attack on Thursday should be their blueprint for success for the rest of the season. Atlanta's depth was on full display and the team was without veterans Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari, who both sat due to soreness. If the Hawks can keep this up, a second consecutive run to the Eastern Conference Finals is not out of the question.
Mavericks Doomed by Poor Shooting
The Mavericks opened the game going 7-for-26 from the field in the first quarter, and things never got better after that. Despite the outside shots not falling, Dallas kept chucking the ball from three-point range instead of attacking the basket.
Credit Atlanta's defense, which features two great rim protectors in Capela and Collins. Hunter also did an excellent job in his one-on-one matchup with Doncic.
Jalen Brunson had 17 points off the bench and was the only player to shoot efficiently, going 7-for-13. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting while Kristaps Porzingis was held to 11 points on 4-of-13 from the field.
Despite a new head coach in Jason Kidd, the Mavericks' offense didn't look much different from last year's. Doncic dominated the ball too many times and the team had no answers when the three-pointers weren't falling. Dallas will need to switch things up if they hope to make a run in this year's postseason.
What's Next?
The Hawks will return to action on Saturday in a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Mavericks will look to bounce back in Saturday's road matchup against the Toronto Raptors.
