NBA: Raptors rally against Hawks to clinch playoff spot
FILE – Fred VanVleet #23 celebrates with Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets at Scotiabank Arena on November 7, 2021 in Toronto, Canada. Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP
Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 31 points and the Toronto Raptors clinched an Eastern Conference playoff spot by responding to losing a late lead with eight straight points that helped produce a 118-108 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.
Fred VanVleet contributed a 3-pointer to the difference-making run for Toronto (46-33), the current fifth seed in the East which assured itself of a spot in the postseason with a combination of the win and a Cleveland Cavaliers loss at Orlando.
Article continues after this advertisementFred VanVleet makes it a 5 point game with the CLUTCH 3!
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Trae Young had 26 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for Atlanta (41-38), which needed to finish with all wins and Toronto all losses in order for the Hawks to earn a top-six spot in the East.
After blowing a 12-point, fourth-quarter lead and falling behind 103-102 on a free throw by Young with 2:53 to go, the Raptors tightened the defensive screws, holding the guests scoreless until two free throws by De’Andre Hunter with 30.3 seconds remaining.
Article continues after this advertisementBy that point, Toronto had built a 110-103 lead, with Precious Achiuwa drawing the Raptors even with a free throw with 2:33 left and Scottie Barnes giving the hosts the lead for good on a short-range basket with 1:53 to go.
VanVleet’s key 3-pointer came on Toronto’s next possession, pushing the advantage to 108-103, and when Siakam capped his big night with two free throws, the Raptors had taken control at 110-103 before Hunter’s drought-ending foul shots.
Siakam complemented his 31 points with 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who won for the sixth time in their last seven games.
Barnes also recorded a double-double with 19 points and a game-high-tying 14 rebounds, while Chris Boucher chipped in with 18 points, Gary Trent Jr. with 14, VanVleet with 12 to go with a team-high nine assists, and Achiuwa with 11 points.
Atlanta saw a five-game winning streak come to an end despite 21 points from Kevin Huerter, 20 from Hunter and 19 from Bogdan Bogdanovic. Clint Capela compiled the game’s fourth double-double with 10 points and a game-high-tying 14 rebounds.
Toronto was the first to take a double-digit lead in the tightly contested game, using a 10-4 burst to start the final period to build a 99-87 advantage on a Barnes driving hoop at the 9:53 mark.
But the Hawks held the Raptors to just three points in the next 7:20, eventually drawing even at 102-all on a Young basket with 4:29 remaining.
