Hawks Suffer Disastrous Home Opener, Fall to Raptors 138-118

UPDATE: The Atlanta Hawks faced a devastating defeat in their season opener, losing to the Toronto Raptors 138-118 at home on October 25, 2023. This disappointing performance follows a highly anticipated preseason that fueled hopes of a standout season surrounding star player Trae Young.

After the game, Young did not hold back, expressing his frustration with the team’s lackluster display. “I don’t think there’s too many positives you can take from tonight,” Young stated. “It’s embarrassing the way we started it.” The Hawks were significantly outperformed in critical areas, being outscored 86-56 in the paint and 34-11 in fast break points, while also being outrebounded by a staggering 20 boards.

Despite Young contributing 22 points and 5 assists, his performance included a troubling miss on 6 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc. However, there was a bright spot for the Hawks as Jalen Johnson shone with 22 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in his first game since undergoing shoulder surgery.

New addition Kristaps Porzingis made his debut with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks, but the Hawks struggled to find their rhythm. Reigning Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels faced early foul trouble, finishing with just 4 points, while new Hawk Nickeil Alexander-Walker struggled, shooting only 2-for-15 for a total of 10 points.

The Raptors capitalized on the Hawks’ missteps, setting a franchise record for points in a season opener. RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes combined for 47 points, leading Toronto to shoot an impressive 56.8% from the field.

Looking ahead, the Hawks face a challenging schedule, with nine of their first 14 games on the road. Their first road challenge comes against the Orlando Magic on October 27, before returning home to host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on October 28.

Coach Quin Snyder emphasized the need for improvement, particularly in defensive rotations. “There are a lot of things we need to clean up,” he remarked. Johnson added, “It’s not too much that we got to overthink. We just got to be better than we were tonight. Simple as that.”

Young acknowledged the importance of team cohesion, saying, “I got to figure out how we need to jell together. We need time to jell. But obviously, we want results right away.” With a demanding start to the season, the Hawks are under pressure to quickly bounce back and live up to the high expectations set during the offseason.

Stay tuned for updates as the Hawks look to regroup and find their footing in the coming games, starting with the urgent road trip ahead.