The Atlanta Hawks picked up their first win under head coach Quin Snyder Friday night, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 129-111. Hawks guard Dejounte Murray didn't hold back in giving Snyder much of the credit for the victory.
“We had two back-to-back hard-a** practices so I think that's translating over to the game,” Dejounte Murray told Bally Sports South immediately after the Hawks defeated the Blazers.
Friday marked the Hawks' second game with Snyder as the head coach. The Washington Wizards beat Atlanta 119-116 Tuesday in Snyder's debut. According to Murray, the Hawks had intense practices Wednesday and Thursday that made an immediate impact.
“We had two great practices where we were really getting after it,” Murray said. “Trying to put together some new stuff to make us share the ball, and understand what sharing the ball can do for us, and also staying locked in on the defensive end.
“His detail is unbelievable. Just his IQ for the game.”
Murray scored 41 points on 17-of-22 shooting to go along with five rebounds and six assists. Trae Young added 23 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.
Defense and sharing the ball have been two of the Hawks' most significant weaknesses. Atlanta ranks 21st in defensive rating, giving up 114.4 points per 100 possessions. No team averages fewer passes per game than the Hawks.
Young, in particular, has been criticized for his poor defense and being difficult to play with because of how much he dominates the ball.
Snyder is the Hawks' third head coach in three years. It's rare for head coaches to be hired midseason from outside of the organization. Atlanta hopes Snyder can turn the team's season around and lead them back to the playoffs.
The Hawks have a 32-31 record with 19 games left on the schedule. Atlanta is the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks trail the No. 7 Miami Heat by a half-game.
Atlanta is three games behind the Brooklyn Nets for the No. 6 seed and the first spot out of the play-in tournament.
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