That's when UConn announced that starting senior center Tarris Reed Jr. was out with a sprained ankle. Reed, one of the nation's best big men who is averaging 20.0 points and 9.3 rebounds, is considered to be game-to-game, according to the team. Without Reed, UConn struggled mightily to slow down Arizona, with the Wildcats putting forth one of the most dominant paint displays against the Huskies under Dan Hurley en route to a 71-67 road win.
But unfortunately for the Hawks, they were met with a Raptors team that looked like men on a mission. It was evident in the strong, balanced play of their starters and the impressive contributions from their bench pieces like Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Jamal Shead, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. Toronto clearly took advantage of the Hawks' weak transition defense and interior struggles, scoring 86 points in the paint compared to Atlanta's 56. The Raptors also employed a pace and aggression that the Hawks just couldn't keep up with, evident in the fast break points discrepancy - Toronto had 34 while Atlanta managed only 11.