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ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks showed the world in three days that they can compete with some of the best teams in the NBA. After getting a big win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road a day before Thanksgiving, they came back home two days later and beat them again in the NBA Cup game. The Cavs were 17-1 before seeing the Hawks this week, and now they have an extra two losses to end the week.
Some would say that these past two games have been statement wins for the Hawks, but Trae Young doesn't believe so.
“This is obviously two big wins for us,” Young said after the game. “The [Cavs] been playing really well and at the top of the league. I think a statement win for us was when we went to Boston without me and we won on the road in the cup game.
“Obviously, every team is trying to win every game, but especially these cup games, they give you playoff intensity-type environments. For us to go into Boston and to win there, regardless if they had me or not, I think that showed a lot about our team and what we have around us. I think that was a bigger statement win than these last two.”
Young is right: going into Boston without him and beating the Celtics was huge, especially in the NBA Cup game, but getting two wins against the team with the best record in the league should call for some hand claps as well. The Hawks have shown several times this season that they're capable of beating some of the better teams in the league, such as the Cavs, Celtics, and New York Knicks. On the other hand, they've also come up short against the Washington Wizards twice, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Dallas Mavericks without Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson.
If they can continue to play like they have the past two games, there's no reason why they shouldn't finish top-6 in the conference.
Hawks take care of the Cavs two times in three days
The Hawks have been able to play two good games in a row, and it started with their defense. In the second game against the Cavs, the Hawks held them to 101 points, their lowest this season. Not only that, but they've had two positive shooting games, and De'Andre Hunter is one of the players that stands out.
Hunter scored 26 points in their first game against the Cavs, and followed that up with 23 points in the second game. When Hunter has been available this season, he's played well on both sides of the ball, and head coach Quin Snyder has seen the growth in his play.
“He's pretty important. As much as anything, the way he's playing, I don't think he gets enough credit for all the little things that he does, in part because they're not as visible, but he's always in the right place defensively… He's a guy I feel lucky to coach,” Snyder said.
The Hawks will now have to wait until the Boston and Chicago game to see if they clinch East Group C of the NBA Cup. If the Celtics win, they're in, and Trae Young said for one night only, he'll be rooting for the enemy.
“This is the one and only night that I'll be cheering for Boston,” Young said.
Last season, the Indiana Pacers were a young team that benefitted from the spotlight of making it all the way to the NBA Cup championship. This season, the Hawks could be that team if they're able to continue this momentum and are able to advance.
