DPOY? Hawks Guard Dyson Daniels Continues to Make His Case By Setting the Hawks Single-Season Steals Record

Stop me if you heard this before, but Dyson Daniels had an incredible night on the defensive end of the court. Facing the Milwaukee Bucks, Daniels had yet another five steal game, tying Chris Paul for the most games (14) with 5+ STL in a season this century. Not only that, but Daniels set the Hawks single season record for steals with 213, breaking Mookie Blaylock's previous record.

THE GREAT BARRIER THIEF

NEW FRANCHISE RECORD FOR STEALS IN A SEASON pic.twitter.com/yXCQLNXbC5
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) March 31, 2025

Daniels leads the league in steals and deflections and has been the most disruptive perimeter defender in the NBA. But will he win defensive player of the year? The odds seem to be in favor of Golden State Wariors forward Draymond Green and Cleveland's Evan Mobley, but Daniels continues to make the case due to the historic aspect of the season he is having from a steals standpoint.

After two losses earlier in the week, the Hawks rode an incredible offensive night to a victory in Milwaukee. Led by the potential Rookie of the Year Zaccharie Risacher, the Hawks' offense could not be stopped all night in their 145-124 win. Risacher set a new career high tonight with 36 points, Atlanta scored the most points they have all season, and they snapped a brief two-game losing streak and got their 36th win of the year.

Risacher set the tone for the Hawks on offense, but there were other standout performances. Trae Young had 19 points and 19 assists, Dyson Daniels had 22 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, and both Georges Niang (17 points), and Onyeka Okongwu (13 points and 10 rebounds) were in double figures. The Hawks shot 53% from the field and 35% from three while having 36 assists on 50 made baskets while only having eight turnovers. There were no holes in the Hawks' offense tonight, and they continue to play well. It was a career night for Risacher and both he and Daniels made their cases to win the major awards that they are up for.

This win now moves the Hawks to 36-38 overall and keeps them slightly ahead of the Magic, Bulls, and Heat for the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference. While it is very unlikely, the Hawks are now within four games of the Bucks for the No. 6 seed and they now have the tiebreaker due to winning the season series. While they are likely out of time, keep an eye on the rest of the way. They will be back at home against Portland on Tuesday.

Additional Links

Zaccharie Risacher Sets New Career High With 36 Points and Hawks Get Important Win vs Milwaukee

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