The Atlanta Hawks spent the first two-quarters of today’s game against the San Antonio Spurs blasting the visitors out of State Farm Arena. They would spend the last two quarters trying to avoid another embarrassing loss.
With the exception of 1998 and 2017, we’ve hosted an MLK Day game every season since 1994.
Atlanta is also the site of the first-ever MLK Day game on Jan. 20, 1986.
2024 marks the 25th consecutive year that the Hawks will play on MLK Day. pic.twitter.com/O30PbVjoOv
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 15, 2024
On this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration game, the Hawks put on a rare show of offensive muscle, building a 35-point lead at halftime, only to see it dissolve to six points in the fourth quarter as the Spurs made changes to counter the Hawks offense. The Hawks would win the game 109-99, ending a two-game losing streak in front of a home audience that included Braves head of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, filmmaker Spike Lee, rapper/entrepreneur Killer Mike (who performed at halftime), and civil rights icon Tommie Smith.
Always feels good to Win on MLK Day 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JlEvOjyETp
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 16, 2024
Although it got close in the fourth quarter, the Hawks never surrendered their lead. Trae Young scored his 10,000th career point as he put up 36 points in today’s game.
“I think obviously we did a good job in the first half, the attention to detail and the focus we had was huge for us,” said Young to the AP, reflecting on the bell curve trend in the game’s score against the Spurs. “In the second half, I just think we got too relaxed.”
The 16-23, .413 Hawks’ win comes as the rumor mill is in overdrive with reports of possible roster changes driven by the team’s unsatisfactory performance recently. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported today that the Hawks are seeking two first-round draft picks for Dejounte Murray. ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said, “I know that the Lakers and the Hawks have talked…and I know that it was like, ‘Okay, check back after Jan.15.”
The Hawks will play the last of the current home stand on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
| Game Leaders | Hawks | Spurs |
| Points | Trae Young, 36 | Victor Wembanyama 26 |
| Rebounds | Dejounte Murray 13 | Victor Wembanyama, 13 |
| Assists | Trae Young, 13 | Tre Jones, 12 |
| 3 Points | Trae Young, 6 | Julian Champagnie, 5 |
| Team Numbers | Hawks | Spurs |
| Points | 109 | 99 |
| Rebounds | 56 | 44 |
| Assists | 24 | 27 |
| Field Goal %’s | 43% | 40% |
| 3 Point %’s | 34% | 26% |
| Points in Paint | 50 | 54 |
| 2nd Chance Points | 18 | 10 |
| Fastbreak Points | 8 | 16 |
Data source: Atlanta Hawks, NBA
Social media credit: Atlanta Hawks/X