Hawks handle business against the Thunder and we’re back to .500
Just like that, our Atlanta Hawks are right back in it. The Hawks are back to .500 ball for the first time since the beginning of this season, following a win against the OKC Thunder.
While the Thunder are one of the worst teams in the NBA, they have shown that they can fight for wins against good teams, and they did that last night, despite injuries to their star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The final score was 113-101, but it felt a lot closer than it should have been in the first half.
The Hawks had numerous chances to run away with it; however, by halftime, it seemed like it would be anybody’s game, even though the Hawks were playing relatively well. Atlanta outscored OKC 27-11 in the third quarter, enough for the Hawks to cruise through the 4th quarter.
Trae Young had yet another highly efficient performance from three, dropping 30 points on 5-9 shooting from distance. We have become accustomed to seeing these nights from Trae, as he has drastically improved his shot selection from the three-point line. Gone are the days of logo threes with 22 seconds left on the shot clock, as fun as they were.
John Collins also had a sneaky good game, dropping 11 points, 5 assists, and 5 blocks. Yet again, JC has proven to be the team’s life force this season, making buckets on a dead possessions, getting the poster dunk that kickstarts a run, or getting that one necessary block or rebound. He has played his role to perfection, and last night was no different.
Outside of that, it was a communal effort for the Hawks, as we saw six or more players score ten or more points for the third time on this five-game win streak. Hopefully, Nate McMillian can keep us moving against the Spurs tomorrow night at 8:30 PM on Bally Sports Network.
