Raptors Hold Off Hawks for 122-117 Victory Despite Trae Young's 42 Points

The Toronto Raptors' winning streak now stands at four games following a 122-117 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday at State Farm Arena.

Norman Powell exploded for 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Raptors led by as many as 21 points.

A furious comeback by the Hawks made it a two-point game, 117-115, with 14.2 seconds remaining before Fred VanVleet sank three free throws to give the away team some breathing room.

The Raptors are now only a half-game behind the Miami Heat for the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and the teams could have the same record (29-14) by the end of the night. Miami tips off against the Sacramento Kings at 5 p.m. ET.

The Hawks remain anchored to the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 10-34 record and have started the month of January with a 3-7 mark.

The addition of veteran point guard Jeff Teague provided Atlanta with some much-needed backcourt help but has yet to translate to success on the court. The team has dropped both of its games with Teague in the lineup.

Notable Performers

• Norman Powell, SG, Raptors: 27 points (7-14 FG; 6-9 3P), one rebound, one assist, two steals
• Fred VanVleet, SG, Raptors: 20 points (4-11 FG; 1-4 3P), four rebounds, two assists, three steals 
• Pascal Siakam, PF, Raptors: 18 points (6-13 FG, 0-4 3P), six rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block 
• Trae Young, PG, Hawks: 42 points (11-20 FG; 2-7 3P), six rebounds, 15 assists, one steal
• John Collins, PF, Hawks: 17 points (8-11 FG; 0-1 3P), 11 rebounds, three blocks

Norman Powell Takes Over in Fourth Quarter

The Raptors had a full day off since their last game, but the early start may have disrupted their usual pregame routine. Heading into the fourth quarter, Toronto wasn't shooting well, yet still led by one point, 83-82.

With the tide slowly turning in the Raptors' favor, Powell decided to remove any drama as quickly as possible. He scored 12 straight points and hit back-to-back-to-back three-pointers as Toronto took firm control.

This was Powell's fifth game back after recovering from left shoulder subluxation. The Raptors have been without VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam for various stretches as well, making their record all the more impressive.

The first half of the fourth quarter showed what Toronto can be at its best.

The second half of the fourth quarter was the team at its worst.

Nick Nurse had an opportunity to rest his starters down the stretch and instead had to bring them back off the bench in order to prevent an improbable collapse.

Trae Young Strengthens All-Star Resume

All-Star voting is set to conclude Monday night at 11:59 p.m. ET. In the most recent round of returns, Trae Young led all East guards with 2,066,924 votes. That total doesn't guarantee Young will get his first All-Star nod because fellow players and writers will have the chance to weigh in as well.

The Washington Post's Ben Golliver argued Young's poor defense and the Hawks' last-place standing warrant excluding him from the final cut.

Monday's loss will likely have done little to change the conversation. Atlanta lost, but it's hard to say how much Young was to blame considering both his final numbers and the impact he had on the Raptors' defensive game plan.

The All-Star Game is supposed to celebrate the league's best players but also represents a showcase for the fans. This year's event would be better with Young involved.

Head coach Lloyd Pierce will likely come away frustrated his team threw away a solid performance and melted down to close out the third quarter and open the fourth. The Hawks were relying too heavily on their offense and when the scoring dried up in the fourth quarter, they were toast.

They deserve credit for continuing to fight in the final frame and make things close, but it's somewhat damning with faint praise to say a team did well to almost claw back from what had been such a sizable deficit.

The acquisition of Teague showed the front office is committed to turning things around this season. That was merely a Band-Aid compared to what Atlanta requires to actually make meaningful steps toward the playoffs.

What's Next?

The Raptors play the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. A win will guarantee Toronto at least a split of its season series with Philadelphia. The road doesn't get much easier for the Hawks, who welcome the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.