The author of the “game winner”, Nickeil Alexander-Walker confirmed the confidence of the Hawks
« It’s a decision made in the moment, in the heart of the action: when you grab a rebound and give the ball to someone who is capable of moving quickly up the field, the defense doesn’t have a chance to set up, to make their changes. » Guided by this principle of the game, Quin Snyder therefore allowed it to happen.
And he didn’t take a timeout after Ace Bailey’s game-tying 3-pointer with 10 seconds left end of the match between the Hawks and the Jazz. The ball is thus returned to play and Nickeil Alexander-Walker assumed his responsibilities: picking up the ball, making a mid-range stop, then a “turnaround jumper” that would eventually fall into the circle.
Since the same Bailey will not be able to answer the buzzer, this “NAV” shot will have “game winner” value. ” I feel the same way about Nikhil, about Jaylen (Johnson): if these guys have an advantage that they can use every now and then… We can call timeouts, set up a great system and get it done. But there is also a chance that you can do it and someone misses. »
« You might want a timeout, but at the end of the day it all comes down to trusting these guys and their workload », summarizes Quinn Snyder who would find themselves with several options on the table in the event of a break in play. Jaylen Johnson, for example, had a great night, finishing with 22 points (9/19), 16 rebounds and 15 assists, as did newcomer Joc Landale (26 points and 11 rebounds).
“It’s really rewarding to know that the work is paying off”
And just like Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the author of 23 points on 9/15 shooting and ready to send. ” With everything I’ve been through in my career, it’s really great that I’ve finally worked to earn that trust from someone. At the end of the game, I played with Ant (Anthony Edwards), with guys like BI (Brandon Ingram), Donovan (Mitchell), Zion (Williamson) … so many players who had the ball in their hands in the money time and were trusted to make plays », notices.
With his new status as a strong man, averaging more than 20 points this season, the Canadian has given himself the means to conclude this way.
« It’s really cool because I worked for those moments. And today it was a video where everyone said to me: ‘We’ve seen you so many times’, because they know that I work on such moves. »
The guard saw this converted shot as “ relief ». « At a time like this, it’s really rewarding to see the ball drop into the circle and know that the effort is paying off », term-t-il.
2026-02-06 19:16:00
