Saddiq Bey’s game winning putback dunk helps the Atlanta Hawks win wild game over Toronto Raptors

A battle between the 11th and 12th seed in the Eastern Conference was back and forth the entire night, and it had a spectacular finish. Trailing by 1 point with 7.4 seconds remaining, the Atlanta Hawks were able to squeeze past the Toronto Raptors 126-125 at State Farm Arena following a game winning putback dunk by Saddiq Bey.

With no Dejounte Murray for the Atlanta Hawks, Saddiq Bey stepped up, finishing with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists, including the game winner. Bey has been on a roll, scoring over 15 points in his last 3 games. Trae Young did his part, ending the night with 30 points, 2 rebounds, and 12 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 24 points in a starting role and fellow backcourt mates Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela each finished with a double-double.

For the Raptors, Scottie Barnes played his heart out, ending the night with 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists on 57% shooting. Jordan Nwora, a player acquired from the Pascal Siakam trade, made a huge impact off the bench, finishing with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Rookie Gradey Dick also contributed a scoring punch off the bench, splashing in 3 three pointers and scoring 15 points.

This win is huge for the Atlanta Hawks, as they now sneak past the Brooklyn Nets in the standings to move up to the 10th seed. With a record of 19-27, the Hawks are now 0.5 games above the 11th seeded Nets and 2 games behind the 9th seeded Chicago Bulls. The Hawks are 4-6 in their last 10 games and they will look to build on this victory on Tuesday night as they face off against the Los Angeles Lakers.

For the Raptors, this loss drops them to 16-30, which makes them 12th in the Eastern Conference standings and 3 games behind the 10th seeded Atlanta Hawks for the final spot in the play-in tournament. The Raptors fought hard all night despite not having 3 starters (RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Jakob Poeltl), and this gave an opportunity for some of their young players like Jordan Nwora and Gradey Dick to showcase their talents. Toronto is on a 5-game losing streak and will look to turn things around on Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls.