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The Atlanta Hawks journeyed to the West for a matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. Without the services of Trae Young and Jalen Johnson, the Hawks, facing challenges, aimed to secure victory and prevent the hosts from sweeping the season series.
Dejounte Murray was anticipated to spearhead Atlanta's efforts in the game. Despite their roster limitations, the Hawks displayed aggressiveness and concluded the opening quarter with a 37-30 lead. As expected, Murray emerged as a scoring force, pacing the team with 16 points.
After being held scoreless in the first quarter, Kevin Durant mounted a strong comeback in the second frame, notching 11 points. Durant's resurgence coincided with Devin Booker's early scoring burst, as Booker tallied all 13 of his points in the opening period. Durant, along with Royce O'Neale's contributions, propelled the home team to a 65-60 halftime advantage.
Top 5 highlights and viral moments from Atlanta Hawks vs Phoenix Suns
#5. Vit Krejci with the fakes on Jusuf Nurkic
Vit Krejci executed a remarkable fake behind-the-back pass, leaving Jusuf Nurkic momentarily bewildered. With his quick maneuver, Krejci deprived Nurkic of the opportunity to react decisively, whether to block the shot or intercept the pass. Seizing the advantage created by the fake, Krejci smoothly finished the play with a layup.
#4. Trent Forrest sneakily gets the steal
Trent Forrest made a significant defensive play by skillfully poking the ball away from Bradley Beal, employing a behind-the-back maneuver.
Capitalizing on the turnover, Forrest swiftly transitioned to offense, driving down the court to find Bogdan Bogdanovic. With precision, he delivered a pass to Bogdanovic, who capitalized on the opportunity for an easy two points off the Suns' turnover.
#3. Dejounte Murray shows out on both sides of the floor
Kevin Durant looked to distribute the ball to Eric Gordon as he crossed the half-court line, but Dejounte Murray had other plans.
With exceptional anticipation, Murray anticipated Durant's pass and executed a deft poke to steal the ball. Seizing the moment, Murray surged down the court and punctuated the play with a thunderous dunk, propelling his team into the lead.
#2. Bradley Beal with the emphatic dunk
Bradley Beal showed why he was among the premier guards when he drove by Okongwu, blowing by his right, and even beat the help side defenders late in the contest before he punctuated the play with the two-handed slam.
#1. The Chainsmokers get a new member courtside
Popular duo The Chainsmokers were in attendance for the marquee game, sitting courtside when they encountered the Phoenix Suns mascot, 'The Suns' Gorilla' and shared a picture with the two artists – Drew Taggart and Alex Pall.
The Phoenix Suns (40-29) won the game, 128-115 and completed their season series sweep against the Atlanta Hawks (30-38).
Guess the Lakers players!
