Hawks aim to keep momentum from NBA Cup showing vs Spurs

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks stands on the court during an Emirates NBA Cup against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

The Atlanta Hawks will look to build on their showing in the NBA Cup when they travel to San Antonio to play the up-and-down Spurs on Thursday in an interconference clash.

The Hawks made it to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas, where they lost to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks 110-102 on Saturday. Trae Young led Atlanta with a 35-point, 10-assist double-double and fell three rebounds short of a triple-double in the loss.

The setback was the second in the past three outings for Atlanta after the Hawks reeled off a six-game winning streak, part of which earned it a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals. Atlanta started the season 2-4 but has played better as it has gotten healthy.

READ: NBA Cup: Hawks’ unexpected run ends after cold 4th quarter

“We were so banged up early, but we stuck together and began to develop a kind of identity,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder explained. “The common denominator for us is that we were really competitive.”

Young is the Hawks’ top scorer and playmaker, but he’s also excelled on defense, an aspect of his game that’s drawn the praise of Snyder and Young’s teammates.

“He’s evolving as a player,” Snyder said about Young. “We’re asking him to do (more). He’s getting more catch-and-shoot. To me, it’s more about him defending, leading the team, creating offense for other players, pushing the ball. Do we want to hit more shots? Does he want to hit more shots? Of course, and I think as the season goes on, that’ll happen exactly.”

Atlanta’s four-day break between Saturday’s game and the dustup with the Spurs is the Hawks’ longest of the season other than the All-Star break.

The Spurs are at the .500 mark at 13-13 and return to play after a three-day break and following a 106-92 home loss to Minnesota on Sunday. Despite playing with a sore back, Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio attack with 20 points and also pulled down 12 rebounds in the loss, which snapped a two-game winning streak for the Spurs.

READ: NBA: Hawks’ Kobe Bufkin to have season-ending surgery

“We’re confident with what we’re doing and where we’re at,” Spurs forward Harrison Barnes said. “I think we’re developing continuity, and guys are getting healthy. I don’t think there’s any concern from the group at all — we actually like where we are.”

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who has been away from the team since suffering a minor stroke on Nov. 2, released a statement Monday that said he is progressing in his rehabilitation. His statement led to hope that the NBA’s all-time winningest coach could return to his role sometime this season.

“No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process,” Popovich’s statement read. “They’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable.”

San Antonio is 11-10 under acting coach Mitch Johnson. After Thursday’s game with Atlanta and a clash on Saturday at home against Portland, the Spurs will play nine of their ensuing 11 games on the road.

This is the first meeting of the season between the teams and the only one in San Antonio. The teams square off again on Feb. 5 in Atlanta. –Field Level Media