Raptors defeat Hawks 135-128, snap four-game losing streak

The Toronto Raptors ended a four-game losing streak on Wednesday night by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 135–128 behind 33 points from Pascal Siakam and 27 points and 10 rebounds from Scottie Barnes.

O.G. Anunoby contributed 22 points for the Raptors in the first game of a two-game home series against the Hawks.

Former Hawks guard Dennis Schroder scored 17 points, surpassing 10,000 points for his career, while Jakob Poeltl recorded 15 points and equaled his season-high with 13 rebounds.

Poeltl mentioned, "We took advantage of their defensive weaknesses and capitalized on that. It was also beneficial that we were able to convert our shots from the outside."

Siakam finished the game with seven rebounds and seven assists, matching his season-high with five 3-pointers. Gary Trent Jr. added four more 3-pointers as the Raptors made 18 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc. Toronto had their best performance from 3-point range this season, hitting 19 3-pointers in an overtime victory against San Antonio on November 5th.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder commented, "Despite allowing the opposing team to score 135 points, I believe our players showed great competitiveness and played solid defense."

Trae Young led the Hawks with 35 points and tied his season-high with 17 assists, but Atlanta's losing streak extended to five games, which is their worst of the season. Young had also recorded 17 assists in a loss to New York on November 15th.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, who scored a career-high 40 points in a loss to Denver on Monday night, contributed 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter against Toronto. However, it wasn't enough for the Hawks. Dejounte Murray also scored 20 points for Atlanta, and Onyeka Okongwu added 13.

Okongwu stated, "We understand that it's a long season. We're only a quarter of the way through, so we have plenty of time to turn things around."

The two teams will face each other again on Friday night in Toronto.

Siakam had 14 points in the first quarter and another 10 in the second, but Atlanta held a slim 66-64 lead at halftime.

Toronto started the second half by making eight consecutive 3-point shots and went on to hit nine of 12 from beyond the arc in the third quarter, outscoring the Hawks 39-29. The Raptors entered the fourth quarter with a 103-95 advantage.

Snyder mentioned, "Against this team, our primary focus was to defend the rim since they excel at attacking it.

Snyder emphasized, "Once you defend the inside and prevent any scoring opportunities in the painted area, it's important to quickly recover and understand that shot-blocking is not always guaranteed."

In the recent match, Jalen Johnson, the forward from Atlanta, was absent for the eighth consecutive game due to a fracture in his left wrist. Similarly, De'Andre Hunter, another forward, missed his second straight game due to a right knee injury.