Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder highlighted his team’s defensive resilience after Friday’s 110-103 win over the Phoenix Suns, saying, “I liked how we guarded and especially down the stretch… we have to have that focus on the defensive end and worry as much about blocking someone and communicating in a given situation on a transition as we do what’s happening on the other end.”
Snyder acknowledged the Hawks’ struggles in the third quarter, noting, “We obviously had a rough third quarter … the ball stopped and we still have to, when things don’t go the way we want individually or collectively on the offensive end, we still have to keep our guard up.”
On turnovers, he explained: “We have poor spacing and we’re playing in a crowd and we’re not passing… when we did pass, they were bad passes… we just didn’t have the focus on our ball security.”
The coach praised CJ McCollum’s mid-range scoring as a new offensive dimension for Atlanta, saying, “CJ has made some big plays for us and… he’s selective about our shot profile… his ability to attack late clock situations really helps our team.”
Snyder also discussed Jalen Johnson’s recent impact, emphasizing, “JJ’s challenge is to feel those situations…playing without the ball and running and doing a lot of the things he does for us is a big part of who we are as a team and he’s crucial in that.”
On the importance of back-to-back home wins, Snyder added, “At home you always want to play well… to come out tonight and be able to get a win in front of our home crowd is very important… people can feel how our team competed late on the defensive end and that’s what won the game.”
The Hawks overcame a deficit late in the third quarter after Devin Booker left with a right ankle injury. Jalen Johnson recorded 23 points and 18 rebounds for his NBA-leading 30th double-double, while Onyeka Okongwu contributed 25 points. CJ McCollum added 21 points off the bench.
Phoenix struggled without Booker, who scored 31 points before leaving, while the Suns shot 44% overall and 32% from three. Dillon Brooks added 11 points and Collin Gillespie had 16 points, but the bench couldn’t maintain offensive efficiency.
Atlanta outscored Phoenix 26-12 in the fourth quarter, shooting 53% from the field and 50% from three-point range, improving to 22-25. Phoenix fell to 27-18 and remained seventh in the Western Conference.
The Hawks return home on Monday to take on the Indiana Pacers, while the Suns host the Miami Heat on Sunday.
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