Coming into Tuesday night’s NBA Cup contest, the Hawks were riding a two-game losing streak with a 4-7 record, and the last time they played the Celtics, they lost by 30 points to a Boston team without Jaylen Brown. To make matters worse, Trae Young was ruled out with an injury.
But up against Goliath, David fought. Dyson Daniels and the rest of the Hawks never quit fighting, trailing by as many as 15 points. Led by Daniels, Atlanta forced 20 Boston turnovers and out-rebounded the Celtics on the offensive boards 20 to 6.
Dyson Daniels also did it on the other end, adding 28 points, making the go-ahead bucket with 6.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter after coming down with an offensive rebound, resulting in a 117-116 Hawks win.
The offseason trade acquisition gave the Celtics fits, as he has all season long. The 21-year-old notched six steals to become the youngest player in NBA history to have six or more steals in three consecutive games. He’s easily been the best offseason addition, in terms of immediate contribution, for the Hawks since Trae Young.
The former lottery pick didn’t really fit in New Orleans, but he’s been a defensive godsend in Atlanta, which is exactly what was needed with Young in the backcourt.
Coming into the night, Daniels was averaging 12.8 points on 45% shooting from the field and 27.8% from deep, while leading the NBA in steals per game (3.3) and deflections per game (7.3). I’d say he raised those figures after Tuesday night.
Daniels finished with 28 points on 12-of-21 field goals to go along with seven assists, three rebounds, and six steals. The Dejounte Murray trade is already paying massive dividends for the Hawks, but he didn’t do it alone.
Jalen Johnson chipped in 18 points to go with 13 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple double, adding three steals on top of that. The 21 and 22-year-old combined for 46 points on 20-of-38 shooting from the field, 17 assists, 17 rebounds, and nine steals.
The future is bright in Atlanta.
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