Raptors complete season sweep of the Atlanta Hawks to cap off a 4-1 homestand

From start to finish, the Raptors never trailed.

From the opening tap to the final buzzer, the Raptors were occasionally threatened by the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

A five-game homestand was capped off by a two-game sweep of the Hawks to complete a 4-1 record.

The scoring was spread out, Toronto’s defence tightened when rare runs by the Hawks were made, with Toronto’s star power stepping up required.

Overall, it was a complete team effort by the Raptors in their 118-100 win.

In their two-game home sweep of the Hawks, the Raptors’ margin of victory was a combined 35 points.

The following are three takeaways on a night the Raptors improved their record to 22-15, a night in which starting point guard Immanuel Quickley recorded but one assist.

1. Barnes In A Foul Mood

At one point during the opening quarter, Scottie Barnes scored seven points in a row for the Raptors.

With 1:38 left in the period, he picked up his second foul.

He didn’t pick up his third into early in the fourth period.

In Saturday’s win, Barnes did not attempt a single shot from beyond the three-point arc and failed to grab an offensive rebound.

Monday, Barnes easily scored when he took Onyeka Okongwu off the dribble as the Raptors spread the floor.

Offensive life for Barnes was made more difficult when he was matched up against the size and length of Kristaps Porzingis.

Barnes and fellow starter RJ Barrett had a tough time draining three-pointers, the two combining to miss their first seven straight.

Barrett buried his first three-pointer three minutes into the fourth quarter.

Barnes was more of a facilitator throughout the game.

2. The Skinny On Jak

Some long-awaited news of encouragement emerged well before the game tipped off in the fourth and final meeting between the Raptors and Hawks.

Jakob Poeltl, whom the Raptors were counting on to shoulder a defensive and rebounding presence, has been cleared for contact.

Equally important was news that Poeltl is progressing well in the wake of a lower-back issue that has compromised the big man’s season.

It’s only a matter of time before Poeltl is back on the court, which would be a welcome sight for a team that has no one capable of filling his shoes.

Collin Murray-Boyles made his second successive start at centre, even though the rookie is not a natural centre.

The kid does battle on every possession and regularly challenges taller players.

CMB’s ability to make perimeter shots forces his defender to play away from the basket.

Offensively, when he gets touches near the rim, CMB has an explosive edge to his game, which allows him to punish under-sized defenders.

With the Raptors jumping out to a 15-4 lead, CMB scored six points on 3-for-3 shooting, while adding one block.

Once again, CMB was active and his passing skills were on full display.

With CMB in the starting lineup, it did make the Raptors’ reserves a bit undermanned.

One of Toronto’s best reserves was Gradey Dick, who buried all three of his looks in the opening half.

A Dick three-ball came off a nice feed by CMB.

The rookie dished off a season-high six assists on the night, which made for one of his most efficient and effective.

For most of the evening, the kid was among the best on the floor.

3. Trae Bienvenue

Perhaps we’ve seen the last of Trae Young in a Hawks uniform, an explosive point guard who tend to dominate the basketball.

ESPN reported Monday that Young’s representatives and the Atlanta franchise are working in concert to find the face of the Hawks a new home.

The writing has been on the wall for quite some time, made quite obvious to everyone once Jalen Johnson emerged.

Washington, it’s being reported by league insider Marc Stein, has already been linked to a potential Young trade.

The Wizards are in full rebuild and it’s questionable whether someone of Young’s talent would be amenable to any trade to Washington.

In a perfect world, Young is on a veteran-laden team that would keep him in line.

Amazingly, he was part of that draft-day deal back in 2018 that saw Young and Luka Doncic get flipped.

One pick after Young, the Orlando Magic used the sixth overall selection on Mo Bamba.

The same draft class featured the likes of Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Shai Gilgeous Alexander.

With Young as their go-to guy, the Hawks at least made one deep run in the post-season.

With Johnson firmly in control of the club’s reins, Young has become somewhat redundant and his game is too one-dimensional.

He sat at the end of the team’s bench Monday night.

His injury-plagued season has also allowed Canadian Nickeil Alexander-Walker, whom the Hawks acquired this past off-season in free agency, to flourish.

Up Next

Raptors hit the road for a quick two-game trip, beginning Wednesday in Charlotte followed by a Friday night date in Boston; Raptors have gone 1-2 vs. the Bugs, 0-2 vs. the C’s this season; on their most recent trip, the Raptors went 1-2.
fzicarelli@postmedia.com