Three Takeaways For Atlanta After Latest Loss to Chicago

The Hawks had their opportunities tonight against the Bulls on the road, but they could not get stops in the second half, and also let Andre Drummond grab 25 rebounds in the loss. Trae Young did not get his eighth straight game of at least 30 points and 10 assists and Jalen Johnson had his return to the court spoiled tonight.

The Hawks continue to trend downward with this loss and there are already plenty of rumors surrounding this team in terms of trades. They are only going to get louder the more Atlanta loses.

So what are the key takeaways from this game?

1. Jalen Johnson had a solid first game back

Johnson had missed the past month with an injury and the Hawks missed his presence on the defensive end, as well as in transition. He played 29 minutes tonight and scored 10 points, had nine rebounds, and also had four assists in his return to action.

JALEN JOHNSON IS 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆 😤#HawksHighlight pic.twitter.com/WxPaf0gClD
— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) December 27, 2023

Johnson played well on the defensive end when guarding DeRozan and looked like himself when getting rebounds or getting out on the break. He is the most irreplaceable player on the team after Trae Young and you could see his impact in just his first game back tonight.

2. The Hawks three-point shooting cost them tonight

Atlanta shot 28.3% from three-point range tonight and as one of the better shooting teams in the NBA, this was not going to get it done, even against an offensively challenged team like Chicago.

Young was 3-13 from deep, and Murray was 2-9, and Bogdanovic was 3-12. Bey finished a decent 2-6, but the Hawks just had a poor night shooting from deep. Those are the best shooters that the Hawks have and when they shoot like this, it is hard for Atlanta to win any game.

3. DeMar DeRozan's clutch buckets were the difference in the fourth

DeRozan had a tough first half against the Hawks tonight, but he more than made up for it in the fourth quarter and in the second half. DeRozan finished with 25 points in the game, but he had a sequence in the fourth quarter where he hit some big midrange shots to extend the lead and put the Hawks away. Atlanta could not buy a bucket near the end and DeRozan seemed to hit everything. He is one of the most clutch players in the NBA and he showed it tonight.

NBA Insider Says Hawks Guard Dejounte Murray is a Trade Target for the Lakers

Follow Jackson on X here: @jacksoncaudell

Follow Hawks coverage on Facebook here: All Hawks