Trae Young and Clint Capela score Hawks in 116-98 win over Wolves



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The Atlanta Hawks entered Friday night’s tilt against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a healthier roster than the team has had in weeks. Using that new roster stability and a pair of elite-level individual performances, Lloyd Pierce’s side reached a result of 116-98 for their third straight win.

Much of the opening period has been uneven on both sides, with Wolves trailing as a result. The Hawks got the last laugh in the first quarter, however, scoring the final seven points to claim a 25-19 lead.

The story of the first quarter has been the play of Clint Capela, who built on his dominating effort Wednesday with six points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the opening minutes.

The Atlanta run continued into the opening of the second quarter, climbing to 28-9 overall when combined with the first quarter. When the offense slowed down, the Hawks held an 18-point lead and the bench was an important part of the offense.

Atlanta led by no less than 23 before settling with a 19 point halftime advantage. Capela tied her career high with six blocks before halftime, adding eight points and 15 rebounds. On the offensive side, Trae Young was the catalyst, scoring 25 points on 8 of 13 shots, 3 of 6 from three points and 6 of 6 on the free throw line.

Wolves showed a bit of fighting early in the second half, reducing the margin to 13. From there, however, the Hawks regained full control, and it was Young at the forefront.

The All-Star goalie scored 15 points in just the third quarter, crossing the 30-point mark and settling on 40 (!) Points in just 27 minutes.

During the three quarters, the Hawks had a 92-67 advantage and, quite frankly, the Wolves never threatened. There was a little drama, however, as Capela pursued her first career triple-double.

The veteran center far surpassed his career block record and ultimately racked up ten rejections with the rest of the squad cheering him on.

In the end, the last few minutes came and went without incident, and the Hawks scored a decisive victory. Young and Capela were the dominant players that night, with Young scoring 43 points – including 8 of 12 three-pointers – and Capela scoring 13 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks. Elsewhere, Reddish (15 points, five rebounds) and Gallinari (10 points, four rebounds) performed well in their comebacks, and Atlanta took care of business against an inferior opponent on the road.

The Hawks will now travel from Minneapolis to Milwaukee for a Sunday night game against the Bucks. The game will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Stay tuned.

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