Raptors rally in 4th, beat Hawks without Trae Young

The Toronto Raptors bounced back in a big way against the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young watches the game from the bench against the Toronto Raptors | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are celebrating after a 134-117 win against the Atlanta Hawks inside the Scotiabank Arena.

After coming off a loss against the Denver Nuggets without Nikola Jokic, the Raptors knew they needed to come in with a different energy. They did just that in their contest against the Hawks.

The Raptors were going into the fourth quarter up a single point against the Hawks, but they outscored them 27-11 in the final 12 minutes of the game to secure the victory.

Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu controls the ball as Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili tries to defend. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Huge 4th quarter gives Raptors win

RJ Barrett had his best game with the Raptors so far this season in his third game back from a knee injury. Barrett scored 29 points in 30 minutes of action for the team. He looked like the player he was before the injury, and that is a huge positive for the Raptors.

It was clear the Raptors missed Barrett when he was on the sidelines, but the offense definitely looked a lot smoother against the Hawks. Scoring 134 points is not an easy feat, but when Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Brandon Ingram are all clicking, it makes it more attainable.

Ingram also scored 29 points, while Barnes added 20 points with 7 rebounds. Immanuel Quickley was also in scoring double figures with 15. While Sandro Mamukelashvili had 13 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists for a near triple-double off the bench. Jamal Shead also added 10 points in 14 minutes of play,

The Hawks did not have point guard Trae Young, but they still had some strong offensive performances from his teammates. Nickeil Alexander Walker led all scorers with 31 points, while Jalen Johnson had 30 points and nine rebounds of his own. Dyson Daniels also took over the role of point guard with 20 points and 12 assists for a double-double. Vit Krejci and Keaton Wallace also contributed in double figures off the bench with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

It's a good win for the Raptors who improved to 21-15 on the season. They sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, but five other teams are within three games of them, so they have to continue playing at a high level in order to stay among the best in the East.

The Raptors face the Hawks once more on Monday to close out the season series and current homestand. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET inside Scotiabank Arena. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.