The Phoenix Suns are hosting the Atlanta Hawks tonight on their home court. Kevin Durant and Co. are looking for back-to-back wins after decimating the Philadelphia 76ers last night. Tonight’s game has been a heated battle from the tip-off, even leading Suns head coach Frank Vogel to go out of character in the first quarter.

Vogel shocked everyone after he taunted Hawks star Dejounte Murray with a “keep talking” hand sign during a time-out. That is very uncharacteristic of Vogel, who is usually very calm while on the job. Despite Vogel’s taunt on Murray, the Hawks and Suns continue to battle on the court.

Frank Vogel’s taunt did not cause any damage to Dejounte Murray’s performance. Murray went off for 16 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds in only 9 minutes and helped the Hawks gain a 37-30 lead at the end of the first quarter. Meanwhile, Phoenix was kept afloat by their superstar Devin Booker, who scored 13 points in the first quarter. Frank Vogel was not the only Suns team member who broke character tonight. Kevin Durant also put up a rare scoreless performance in the first 12 minutes and struggled to get anything going in his favor.

The Suns need to win tonight’s game if they wish to stay ahead in the playoff race. Phoenix has dropped to the 8th seed in the Western Conference after Dallas’ win against the Utah Jazz tonight. A win against the Hawks will put Phoenix back in the 7th spot ahead of the Sacramento Kings. And they have a solid chance of winning as Atlanta is playing without their second superstar, Trae Young.

Can Dejounte Murray and Co. hold ground in Trae Young’s absence?

Dejounte Murray had a solid first-quarter performance to gain a lead over Phoenix. But it will be difficult for Atlanta to hold onto that lead in Trae Young’s absence. Trae has been out of action for nearly a month following his hand injury. The Hawks guard tore the Radial Collateral Ligament in the fifth finger of his left hand. Young underwent surgery in February and was ruled out for at least 4 weeks. Trae was balling out before he got injured, averaging 26.4 points and 10.8 assists.

With Trae Young out of the lineup, the Hawks are playing with a massive void in their offense. And that could be the opening Kevin Durant and Co. need to get back in the game. Phoenix has more offensive power than Atlanta, and they can easily make a comeback in tonight’s game. Do you believe Atlanta can hold on to their lead over Phoenix and come out with a win?

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