Game 1 between the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat was completely one-sided, with Miami grabbing an early lead and never relenting. The Hawks scarcely looked as if they were up for the challenge, getting blown out in all facets of the game, in what was ultimately an uncompetitive showing. Nate McMillan will be trying to figure out where things went wrong for the Hawks in Game 1 as he prepares for the impending rematch, and it shouldn't take long for him to see just why the Hawks fell flat against the superior Miami Heat in a 27-point blowout. With that said, here are three reasons the Heat cooked the Hawks in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs.
3 reasons Heat beat Hawks in Game 1
3. Miami played with more energy
Intensity is a signature of Miami Heat basketball, and they brought the energy to Game 1 against Trae Young and the Hawks. Try as Young might to feed off his role as the league's villain, soaking in boos from opposing arenas, it's hard to play that role when the other team is giving you nothing offensively and taking away everything defensively. Whether it was on the perimeter or in the paint, Miami simply played with more energy than the Hawks on defense. Kyle Lowry was taking charges as usual, shifting the momentum in his team's favor, and the Heat rallied behind the intensity of its leaders.
The high-energy performance on defense led to the Heat stifling the Hawks from 3-point range. Atlanta shot just 27.8% from 3-point territory in the game, and its best shooters looked uncomfortable at best while outside the perimeter. The team failed to recover from their slow start after the Heat set the tone that lasted throughout the game.
2. Heat were unstoppable from 3
It's not going to be too difficult to win a game when your team simply won't miss tough shots. The Miami Heat knocked down 18 3-pointers against the Hawks, converting on just under 50% of their 3-point field goal attempts. Duncan Robinson had a night to remember, scoring 27 points while hitting 8-of-9 3-point attempts. He wasn't the only one hot from deep, however. P.J. Tucker hit all 4 of his 3-pointers, while Kyle Lowry and Gabe Vincent each added 2.
The onslaught from beyond the arc proved too much for Atlanta's defense to handle, and the Heat rode their hot hand to victory in the blowout win. If Atlanta wants a chance in Game 2, perimeter defense will be a major area of emphasis in practice.
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1. Trae Young was ice cold
If Trae Young's feeling like a villain right now, it's probably from his own fan base. He'll certainly be disappointed with his outing, during which he scored just 8 points and shot a dismal 1-of-12 from the field. Young finished the game with 8 points, 4 assists, 6 rebounds, and 6 turnovers. He was simply unable to get it going on any level of the floor, and the result was plain to see, with the Hawks falling by a wide margin.
The Heat can't count on Young being this bad every night, but if they maintain the same level of pressure on him that they plan to, Young will be in for a tough series. Speaking after the game, Jimmy Butler revealed Miami's plans to make everything physical for Young, and not to give him open looks. It's a strategy that worked soundly for the Heat in Game 1, and they'll look to implement it once again in Game 2.
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