Trae Young leads Hawks past Raptors 136-107; Toronto has season-high 31 turnovers

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives to the net under pressure from Toronto Raptors forward Bruce Brown (11) during second half NBA basketball action in Toronto, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Trae Young had a double-double as the Atlanta Hawks routed the struggling Toronto Raptors 136-107 on Sunday.

Young had 34 points and 10 assists as Atlanta (18-15) won its fourth game in a row. He played only 32 minutes as both teams rested their starters with the game well in hand for the Hawks.

De’Andre Hunter came off Atlanta’s bench for 22 points. Clint Capela had a double-double with 13 rebounds and 11 points.

Scottie Barnes had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes of play as Toronto (7-26) dropped its 10th straight game. RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., scored 17 points with six rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes.

Toronto saw an influx of talent to its rotation for the game.

Centre Jakob Poeltl returned to the Raptors' starting lineup after missing four games with a strained his groin. He finished with 13 points and six rebounds.

Veteran forward Bruce Brown came off the bench for his season debut after having arthroscopic surgery over the summer.

Rookie guards Ja’Kobe Walter (illness) and Jamal Shead (knee contusion) also returned.

Point guard Immanuel Quickley (partially torn UCL) remained out.

Takeaways

Hawks: A 13-2 run in the third quarter blew the game open for Atlanta, which led by as many as 22 points in the period. The Hawks dominated in most facets of the game, including fast-break points (30 to Toronto’s 10) and bench points (57 to Toronto’s 49).

Raptors: It was one of the worst three-point shooting performances of the season for Toronto. The Raptors went seven for 24 from beyond the arc for 29.2 per cent. Toronto made just six threes in a 115-107 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 25. It was also a higher percentage than the 24.4 per cent they shot in a 129-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 5.

Key moment

Brown went up for a one-handed dunk with 1:28 left in the first quarter. When he slammed it down in front of Toronto’s bench his teammates exploded onto the floor, celebrating the athletic play after the 28-year-old’s season was delayed for 31 games by knee surgery.

Key stat

Toronto turned over the ball on each of its first five possessions. Taking care of the ball has been an issue all season and the Raptors struggled to recover after that start, giving up the ball 31 times for 30 points in the game. Their previous season high had been 27 in that same win over Philadelphia on Oct. 25.

Up next

Toronto: The Raptors wrap up 2024 with a visit to the NBA champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

Atlanta: The Hawks fly to Colorado to face the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024.