In the first matchup in nearly eight years with Trae Young not on the roster, the Atlanta Hawks dominated the Denver Nuggets 110-87.
There were plenty of storylines to follow in this one, and the Friday afternoon injury report only added to them. Despite not being listed the day before, Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) and Zaccharie Risacher (knee) were ruled out for Atlanta’s important road matchup.
This ruling had fans speculating: was a trade brewing? The timing was weird, for sure. Regardless, the Hawks needed to avoid all potential distractions and take care of business. Even without Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Denver is a talented, resilient team.