Hawks Lock Down Heat, Secure 98-86 Victory in Defensive Showcase

The Atlanta Hawks delivered a dominant defensive performance in their 98-86 victory over the Miami Heat, marking their second consecutive win over their Eastern Conference rivals this season. Atlanta’s defensive effort was historic, as the team held an opponent to 86 points or fewer for the first time since March 14, 2021 (100-82 vs. Cleveland) and kept an opponent under 90 points for the first time since October 21, 2021 (113-87 vs. Dallas).

Bench Sparks Atlanta’s Offense

The Hawks’ second unit outscored Miami’s reserves 49-24, marking the 37th time this season Atlanta has won the bench battle. Across two games against the Heat, the Hawks’ bench has outscored Miami’s reserves 108-51, proving to be a significant advantage. Atlanta’s bench averages 42.2 points per game, ranking third in the NBA.

Dominance in the Paint and Defensive Hustle

Atlanta controlled the interior, outscoring Miami 58-38 in points in the paint. This marked the 39th time this season the Hawks have scored at least 50 points in the paint, reinforcing their league-wide presence as one of the top teams in that category (54.1 PPG, third in the NBA).

On defense, the Hawks’ active hands led to 13 steals, their NBA-leading 36th game with double-digit thefts this season—the most such games by the franchise since the 2014-15 season. Atlanta leads the Eastern Conference with 10.0 steals per game, second only to Oklahoma City (10.9 SPG) across the league.

Balanced Scoring Attack

Six Hawks players finished in double figures, showcasing the team’s balanced scoring.  (Onyeka Okongwu – 17 points (7-10 FG), eight rebounds, Caris LeVert – 15 points, Terance Mann – 15 points -season-high tying,  Trae Young – 11 points, 14 assists, Georges Niang – 11 points, Dyson Daniels – 10 points, 11 rebounds, seven steals)

Onyeka Okongwu led Atlanta in scoring with 17 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting, adding eight rebounds and two steals. He also extended his career-long assist streak to 25 games

Dyson Daniels Continues Defensive Tear

Daniels led the defensive charge with seven steals, marking his NBA-leading third game this season with at least seven thefts. He now holds the most such games in a single season since Chris Paul (2008-09). His fifth steal of the night moved him past Lou Hudson (160, 1973-74) for the 10th-most steals in a season by a Hawks player since the stat was first recorded. Daniels also extended his steal streak to 29 games, the longest active streak in the NBA and the longest by a Hawk since Mookie Blaylock’s 34-game stretch (1998-99).

On top of his defensive brilliance, Daniels secured his sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds. He has now recorded 10 consecutive games with at least 10 points, the longest such streak of his young career.

Trae Young’s Playmaking Excellence

Despite a lower-scoring night, Trae Young continued his elite playmaking with 14 assists, marking his league-leading 34th point/assist double-double of the season. Young now has 238 such performances since entering the league in 2018-19, the most of any player in that span. Over nine February games, Young is averaging 11.9 assists per contest

Terance Mann matched his season-high with 15 points, including his 300th career three-pointer.

Heat Struggles Despite Wiggins’ Effort

Miami’s Andrew Wiggins led all scorers with 23 points (6-14 FG, 4-9 3PT, 7-7 FT) and added four rebounds and three blocks. Kyle Anderson contributed 14 points off the bench, but the Heat’s offense sputtered against Atlanta’s suffocating defense.

Next Matchup

The Hawks and Heat will square off again on tomorrow Wednesday, February 26, in Miami for the third of their four meetings this season. With Atlanta’s defense surging and their bench continuing to outmatch opponents, the Hawks will look to extend their dominance over the Heat.