Takeaways from Suns falling 122-117 to Hawks, Trae Young going off for 43 points

-Establishing a strong defensive presence, Durant had two quick blocks which translated to points on the other end. Translating his defense to offense, Durant finished with 31 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.

-A rebounding duo that gave the Suns issues, Okongwu and Clint Capela were both aggressive in the paint and were using their physicality to capture possession of the ball. Having him a game to remember, Okongwu recorded a double-double (22 points, 21 rebounds). Capela tallied three points and eight rebounds.

Jan 14, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) tries to shoot over Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

-Pushing the lead to 10, 43-33 in the second quarter, Garrison Matthews came off the bench and was nearly automatic from behind the arch. Matthews scored 14 points in the first half from 4-of-5 (80%) shooting in the first half and 19 points from 5-of-8 (62.5%) overall.

-After exiting Sunday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets early with knee soreness, Grayson Allen did the most he could in the sample size he had vs. Atlanta. The 29-year-old had nine points and three rebounds as a sub.

-Haunting his former team the last time he faced them, Hawks forward David Roddy mightily struggled to get anything going. Scoring 11 points in Phoenix last Thursday, Roddy was the only player on Tuesday to be held scoreless.

-A big discrepancy between the two teams, Atlanta shot 9-for-19 (%) from deep in the first half while the Suns were 6-for-17 (%) through the first two quarters. In total, the Hawks were _-for-_ (%) and the Suns were _-for-_ (%) from long-range.

-Getting back in the game, Phoenix tied it and took the lead off of an 18-6 run to begin the third quarter. Durant and rookie Ryan Dunn combined for 13 points during this stretch and gave the Suns a 74-70 lead. Dunn collected 14 points.

Jan 14, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) and Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) react after the Hawks defeated the Suns at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

-With 5:53 left in the third quarter, Bradley Beal went to the locker room after trying to gather a rebound and being seen limping. Beal has already sustained a left hip contusion, right knee swelling, left calf strain and an elbow injury this year, missing 10 games because of injuries. He returned to the bench a few minutes later.

-Making tough shot after tough shot, Booker quietly amassed 35 points, five assists, four rebounds and a team-high three steals.

-Before the third quarter wrapped up, the Hawks went on a 14-3 scoring run and erased a nine-point Suns lead, going up 89-87. Vít Krejčí quickly grew into the game with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds.

-In was a back-and-forth battle to the final second, Atlanta was taking advantage of second-chance opportunities from heavily outrebounding Phoenix. Leading in that stat department 54-37, the Hawks dominated the offensive boards differential 20-6.

-When the game was getting into crunch time, the Hawks fought until the bitter end and came out victorious. From deep 3s late by Young to locking down on defense, an 18-8 run was the dagger for Atlanta.