Bey Injured as Hawks Drop Game to Pelicans Before 5-Game Road Trip

You know the feeling when your team is rolling along, playing great basketball, and then WHAM! A key player goes down with an injury. That’s exactly what happened to the Hawks on Sunday. They were battling the Pelicans and keeping it close, but then disaster struck in the fourth quarter. Saddiq Bey drove to the hoop on a fast break and hurt his leg and he didn’t return to the game. Without Bey, the Hawks faded down the stretch and lost to New Orleans 103-116.

It was a tough blow, both literally and figuratively. The severity is still unknown, but losing Bey for any extended time would be a huge blow to Atlanta. Now the Hawks have to regroup as they head out on a five-game road trip over the next week and a half. Getting wins without Bey won’t be easy, but have faith. This scrappy Atlanta team has shown resilience all year. They won’t go down without a fight!

The Hawks fought hard throughout the game, dishing out 28 assists and having five players score in double digits. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the charge with 25 points, knocking down 7 three-pointers to extend his streak to 73 straight games. His sharpshooting helped the Hawks rally in the second quarter, but it wasn’t enough.

Dejounte Murray recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 23 points and 11 assists. Murray has been an offensive powerhouse for the Hawks this season, averaging over 20 points and 8 assists per game. His craftiness and playmaking ability have been crucial to the Hawks’ success.

Prior to exiting with an injury, Bey started and played 27 minutes, finishing with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Clint Capela registered 18 points and 14 rebounds for his 26th double-double this season. Bruno Fernando made an impact, pulling down 11 rebounds and blocking 3 shots in just 22 minutes of play.

The Hawks are 10th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 29-35, so they’ll need to bring their A-game to pick up some wins before returning home on Mar 23. to face the Hornets.

 

While the loss is disappointing, the injury to Saddiq Bey comes at an inopportune time for the Hawks. as the team heads into a challenging 5-game road trip against Western Conference opponents ( Trailblazers 3.13, Jazz 3.15, Clippers 3.17, Lakers 3.18 and Suns 3.21 ). Losing a key role player like Bey could prove difficult. His scoring and rebounding will be missed, especially if the injury keeps him sidelined for multiple games. However Bogdanovic, Murray and Capela should give Hawks fans reason to be optimistic. The team have shown resilience all season amid injuries and setbacks, and will need to bring this kind of effort and production if they want to find success over the next week. The Hawks have shown they have the talent to compete, now they just need to put together an execution to complete team wins.