It will be hard for Trae Young and Atlanta to top Tuesday’s thrilling win at Salt Lake City, but the Hawks will nonetheless look to finish their six-game road trip in style against the slumping Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
Young drained a half-court buzzer-beater to lift the Hawks over the Jazz 124-121 in their last game. Young’s 24 points and 20 assists helped snap Atlanta’s three-game losing streak.
Young has been on a tear, scoring at least 20 points in 10 of his last 11 games and reaching double-digit assists in 26 of 35 games this season. His 22.6 points per game lead the Hawks, while his 12.2 assists per game top the league. With 427 assists, he has the most in the NBA by a wide margin, as Tyrese Haliburton is second with 338.
De’Andre Hunter averages 19.7 points per game, but the Hawks will be without Jalen Johnson, who will miss his third straight game with a shoulder injury.
On the other hand, the Suns are looking to open a three-game homestand with a much-needed win. Having lost five of their last six, Phoenix is coming off a 115-104 road loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Despite 39 points from Devin Booker and 26 from Kevin Durant, the Suns connected on just 8 of 33 from 3-point range (24.2 percent) in the defeat.
Durant’s 27.4 points per game rank fifth in the NBA, while Booker’s 24.6 points per game is 14th. The Suns’ 16-19 record is their worst through 35 games since the 2019-20 season, which was the last season they finished with a losing record and missed the postseason.
Budenholzer, who beat the Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals during his tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks, will be coaching the Hawks against his former team.
