The Atlanta Hawks (17-18) brought in the new year with their first away game against an injured Golden State Warriors (18-18) team. After three tough losses, the Hawks entered this game needing a win to help shake up their current streak. The Hawks are still missing Clint Capela, who is still out due to a right calf strain, while De’Andre Hunter returned to the lineup after a left ankle sprain. On the other hand, the Warriors entered this game with a surprising four-game win streak while missing multiple key players. The injury report for the Warriors included star guard Stephen Curry (shoulder), JaMychal Green (lower leg), Andre Iguodala (hip), Jonathan Kuminga (foot), Andrew Wiggins (illness), and James Wiseman (ankle).
The first half of the game did not go in the Hawks’ favor, seeing them fall behind by 12 points in the first quarter and 17 points going into the half. The first quarter saw Trae Young and Klay Thompson lead their teams with 10 and 16 points respectively. Both received support from their teams, but Jordan Poole (7 points) and Anthony Lamb (8 points) provided Thompson with greater support, resulting in a 38-26 lead by the end of the first. Heading into the second quarter, John Collins took it upon himself to lead his team back into a more favorable position, scoring the Hawks’ first 8 points of the quarter over roughly four minutes. Despite his efforts, the Warriors combined efforts resulted in a 21-point lead (the largest of the night) with 3:03 left in the second quarter. John Collins continued his efforts, ending the quarter with 12 points, but the Hawks’ needed more from the unit if they wanted to diminish the 70-53 lead the Warriors held entering the half. The Hawks shot 43% from total field goal, 69% from the free throw line, and 13% from deep. This struggle to find a rhythm from behind the arc showed throughout the first half, as the Hawks only made 2 of 16 attempted threes, while the Warriors made 10 of 22 attempted threes.
Going into the second half, something had to change if the Hawks wanted to have a chance at winning the game. The third quarter started and John Collins continued to demonstrate his high level of play, scoring the first 6 points in the quarter, while the Warriors came out much more dormant than in the first half. Towards the 8-minute mark of the third quarter, Klay Thompson did what he does best, scoring 12 points for the Warriors over the next 4 minutes and 12 seconds. The Hawks responded by going on an 8-0 run over the next minute and 27 seconds, cutting down the Warriors’ lead to only 2 points. A collective effort from a rejuvenated Hawks team found them tied with the Klay Thompson lead Warriors 95-95 going into the fourth.
The Hawks took the lead 27 seconds into the fourth quarter and held onto it as best as they could right up until the last second of the game. At the 5:37 mark, the Warriors began a 7-0 run that brought them within 4 points with a little over 3 minutes left in the quarter. Jordan Poole brought the game within 2 points, but clutch free throws from Trae Young took the lead back up by 4 points. Klay Thompson had other plans though, nailing a three-pointer that brought the game within one point. Once again, Trae Young sank another set of clutch free throws giving the Hawks a 3-point lead with 10 seconds left in the game, too much time for a shooting team like the Warriors. Donte DiVincenzo made the tying three-pointer with only a second left on the clock, taking the game into overtime.
Once again the Hawks started off the quarter taking back their lead, and shortly after the Warriors pulled the lead back in their favor. Trae Young went on to knock down 6 free throws over the next 45 seconds to keep the Hawks in the game and send them into double overtime. The Hawks maintained the energy seen in other quarters and started double overtime taking the lead back after a basket by Jordan Poole. The Warriors held a 5-point lead now with 44 seconds left to go, but clutch baskets from Dejounte Murray and Trae Young once again tied up the game with 9 seconds left to go. Similar to the end of regulation, the Warriors scored a basket to steal the game from the Hawks by 2 points right at the end, winning 143-141. While it was a rather tough loss for the Hawks, at one point trailing by 19 points, it was their fight and persistence to bring themselves back into the game that is extremely admirable.
Trae Young ended the night with 30 points, 14 assists, and 7 rebounds. He was supported by John Collins (25 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists), Dejounte Murray (25 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists), Bogdan Bogdanovic (21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists), De’Andre Hunter (17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists), and Onyeka Okongwu (16 points and 12 rebounds).
Klay Thompson ended the night with 54 points (10 3PM), 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. He was supported by Jordan Poole (28 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists), Anthony Lamb (17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists), and Kevon Looney (14 points, 20 rebounds, 4 assists).
What’s Next?
The Atlanta Hawks (17-19) will continue their road trip in the west, playing Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings (19-16). The Kings are currently 5th in the Western Conference and will meet with an in-conference competitor, the Utah Jazz (19-20). With the Hawks being on a losing streak, this game will be a more than important win, that could possibly jumpstart them into a winning streak. The Hawks sit at 9th in the Eastern Conference and will need to bring their A-game from the opening tip if they hope to improve their current position in the standings.
For more news about the Atlanta Hawks visit: www.nba.com/hawks
For more sports coverage on the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NCAA, contact Cameron Williams by phone at 305-632-4441 or via email at cameronwilliams@wepa.fm
