Hawks’ ball movement: a way to recover the memory and scare the Cavaliers in the run-up to the Play-In

Atlanta Hawks he regained his memory in time in the first match of the NBA Play-In. Those led by Nate McMillan thrashed the Hornets and advanced towards the decisive duel that will be played this Friday at the Cavaliers’ court for the last available spot for the playoffs. With Trae Young as a great standard, the ‘Falcons’ managed to drive LaMelo Ball and company crazy based on assists: 31 touchdown passes in a magical night that fills them with confidence ahead of the transcendental duel that will be played tomorrow.

For one night at least, the Hawks looked like the team that amazingly advanced to the Eastern Conference finals last year. Trae Young recovered from a slow start to finish with 24 points and De’Andre Hunter led a strong performance that ended with a 132-103 victory over the Hornets.

All of Atlanta’s starters scored double figures, as did Bogdan Bogdanovic off the bench.

It was Hunter who had a strong performance in the third quarter scoring 16 points after scoring just three in the first half. He finished the game with 22 points, while Danilo Gallinari added 18 and Clint Capela 15. Kevin Huerter and Bogdanovic each had 13 points.

With this, the Atlanta team qualified for the last game of the Play-In. As you remember, they finished in ninth place, so they will have to fight against the Cavaliers for a place in the NBA postseason. The winner will claim the eighth position in the standings in the East and face the Miami Heat in the first round.

Gallinari and coach McMillan discussed the Hawks’ win

After the game ended, I spoke with coach Nate McMillan and Danilo Gallinari about the Hawks’ win and what lies ahead against the Cavaliers.

The coach stressed the importance of the 31 assists: “They are very relevant in our game. You know, at this level, all teams are capable of shutting down your first and second offensive weapons. We seek to integrate the third, fourth and fifth options to force them to defend in a different way. When they doubled us up we took quick shots so they didn’t get us and we also used the corners a lot. That will be vital in the next game.”

For its part, the Italian AP said the following: “Yes, last season we learned how to get away wins. Now we have to focus and play like today for 48 minutes. When you play away from home, the runs are different, when they get 10 points in a row, everything becomes much more complex, since the public influences. We have to be able to play hard throughout the match, that alone will bring us closer to victory”.

This Friday, at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, the Cavaliers and Hawks will fight to win the last available ticket to the PlayOffs. The local has a lot of energy, but little experience, while the visitor seems to have regained his memory and has the Eastern Conference Finals he played last season on his retina. If they can repeat 31 assists, Atlanta will be in a very good position to win the game.