It would be a big deal for Siakam, who was an all-star in 2020, to go with his teammate and friend VanVleet.
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“It would be special,” Siakam said. “We don’t have the same journey, but you can tell, people who came from kind of nothing to be where they are right now, it’s just the definition of dedication and hard work. It would mean everything. It would mean a lot.”
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Hawks (25-27) point guard Trae Young followed up a 43-point performance in a 124-115 win over the league-leading Phoenix Suns the night before with 22 points.
The Raptors last saw the Hawks on Monday, coming away with a 106-100 win in Atlanta. However, that was a different team than the one Toronto faced off against on Friday as all-star guard Young wasn’t available to play Monday.
Both Toronto and Atlanta were playing on the second night of back-to-back games and the fatigue between the two sides showed.
Fortunately for the Raptors, the Hawks appeared to run out of gas earlier as Toronto outscored Atlanta 36-27 in the third quarter.
Toronto carried a 96-86 advantage heading into the fourth quarter and, even as it appeared all the basketball Toronto had been playing was catching up to them in the frame, they still managed to fight through and hold on.
Raptors forward OG Anunoby was put onto Young defensively late in the fourth and came up with a couple of big blocks, including one on a three-point attempt, to help Toronto seal the win.
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“He’s a really good defender. That’s just it. There are no two ways about it,” said Nurse of Anunoby.
“And I thought late (in the game) the coaching staff did a great job and made an adjustment on a play call and he ended up blocking the shot because we got him in the right spot to do so. So, he’s capable of doing all that stuff defensively. Inside, outside, shot-blocking, steals, etc.”
Thanks to a 33-14 run within the last 8:03 of the period, the Raptors jumped out to a 39-28 lead after the first quarter.
Siakam was dominant early on, going 7-for-9 from the floor in the opening period. He scored 14 of his 21 total as part of a run where he showcased a full repertoire of offensive moves including turnaround jumpers, hard drives to the rim and even a couple of three-pointers from well beyond the arc.
With Siakam getting some rest to start the second quarter, the Hawks were able to cut an 18-point Toronto lead to just one, leaving the Raptors clinging to a 60-59 lead at the half. Siakam finished the first half with 25 points.
Atlanta outscored Toronto 31-21 in the second quarter as the Raptors cooled off from scorching 68.2 per cent shooting from the first quarter.
Friday’s contest concluded a three-game homestand for the Raptors and a run of games that saw them play four times in five days.
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By picking up their 28th win of the season Friday, the Raptors exceeded their win total from all of last season.
Up next for the Raptors is a long stretch that will see them play eight of their next nine games on the road, beginning with a Monday-evening encounter with the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2022.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
