AP

Young scores 31, Hawks beat Spurs for 6th straight win

Nov 24, 2021, 5:54 AM | Updated: 8:43 pm

Atlanta Hawks' Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) and John Collins celebrate a basket late in the second half o...

Atlanta Hawks' Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) and John Collins celebrate a basket late in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021, in San Antonio. Atlanta won 124-106. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

(AP Photo/Darren Abate)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks are enjoying their longest winning streak of the season just two weeks after enduring their longest skid.

Trae Young had 31 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, and the Hawks beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-106 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory.

Bogdan Bogdanovic had 18 points and John Collins added 15 in helping Atlanta to just its second road win this season. Clint Capela finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

“We were just playing fast and just having fun,” Young said. “The whole bench was engaged the whole time, whether it was the starters in or the second unit in. We were just all engaged, and we all wanted to win. The main focus coming in tonight was just breaking that streak of losing on the road.”

Bryn Forbes had a season-high 23 points and Dejounte Murray added 22 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for San Antonio.

The Spurs were facing their second straight opponent on an extended winning streak. Phoenix beat San Antonio on Monday for its 13th straight win.

“Our defense let us down,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “We were pretty poor defensively, and Trae Young was super. The Hawks executed. They got everything they wanted. They deserve credit for that.”

Atlanta (10-9) rose above .500 for the first time since Nov. 1. The Hawks lost six straight after beating Washington for a 4-3 record.

San Antonio (4-13) lost its sixth straight and is on pace for its worst season since a franchise-low 20-62 in 1997.

Atlanta opened the second half on a 12-5 run to take a 75-63 lead. San Antonio went 1 of 4 and had two turnovers to fuel the run.

“They were doing a little bit of switching,” Young said. “We were just trying to find the mismatch. Really just attack and get to the rim.”

The Hawks extended the lead to 89-69 on consecutive 3-pointers by Young and Kevin Huerter, and a 21-footer by Bogdanovic.

Huerter was one of eight players in double figures for Atlanta, finishing with 10 points.

“I like our execution, I like our patience (and our) ball movement tonight,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “Had 26 assists. We feel like when we get that type of ball movement, we’ve got guys that can shoot the ball. They’ll put the ball in the hole.”

After matching a season low with five 3-pointers against Phoenix, San Antonio had eight 3-pointers in the first half alone.

The Spurs finished 12 for 33 on 3-pointers.

Murray was 9 for 18 from the field, including a career-high four 3-pointers.

TIP-INS

Hawks: Atlanta is the fourth team to build a 20-point lead against San Antonio this season. … The Hawks entered the game third in the league in 3-point percentage, shooting 36.7% as a team. Atlanta shot 46% (12 for 26) on 3s against the Spurs.

Spurs: San Antonio G Devin Vassell exited the game with 1:31 remaining in the third quarter after suffering a bruised right quadricep. … F Doug McDermott sat out his second game with an inflamed right knee. McDermott missed three games earlier this season with a sore right knee. … F Keita Bates-Diop made his second consecutive start in place of McDermott. Bates-Diop has five starts in 116 games during a four-year career. His only previous starts came in his rookie season with Minnesota in 2019. … Jock Landale returned after missing six games due to the league’s health and safety protocols. He played the final five minutes, finishing with two points.

COLLINS PROGRESSING

Spurs forward Zach Collins has begun on-court work as he rehabilitates from surgery in June to repair a stress fracture in his left foot, his third left ankle surgery in 10 months.

“He started to go on court and shoot a little bit,” Popovich said.

Formerly with Portland, Collins signed a three-year deal with the Spurs in the offseason.

He averaged 5.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in four seasons with the Trail Blazers, sitting out all but 11 games in 2020 and missing all last season after undergoing ankle surgery.

“It’s still going to take a while,” Popovich said. “After Christmas for sure.”

UP NEXT

Hawks: At the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

Spurs: Host the Boston Celtics on Friday.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

2 years ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

2 years ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

2 years ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

2 years ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

2 years ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

2 years ago

Young scores 31, Hawks beat Spurs for 6th straight win