We did it! We beat a team we knew we could beat!
All jokes aside, although the 111-99 win was against the Magic, all that matters is that we handled business. Scoring differential isn’t considered with playoff seeding, so a win, regardless of how sloppy it was or how we should have won, is a win nonetheless.
Yet again, the starters carried this game, all of which outside of TLC posted double-digit positive plus/minus ratings. The Hawks got off to quite a slow start as they barely squeaked out of the first quarter with a two-point lead. They were able to turn it around in the second, with great play from JC and Lou Williams.
Heading into the half, the Hawks had a comfortable 14 point lead. They got that lead up to 20 by the end of the 3rd; however, that was the extent of the dominance Atlanta should have portrayed last night. One of the best highlights we saw as Hawks fans was Nate allowing rookie Sharife Cooper to get a little run-in, albeit on just 3 minutes of playing time. Hey, we’ll take a little Rife over no Rife.
Another bright spot was Cam’s incredibly efficient performance, posting 13 points and hitting three three-pointers in a row at one point. Trae had 28 points, however, he went 1-8 from deep. Overall, as I said initially, a win is a win, and as much as I would’ve loved to see the Hawks come out from the start and assert themselves, I’d rather see this than the collapse we had the other night.
The Hawks will play the Nuggets next on Friday night, on Balley Sports Network. On another note, the Hawks’ first-round draft pick and defensive phenom Onyeka Okongwu has been recalled to join Atlanta for the first time since the playoffs this past year! While it’s unlikely he will see significant minutes, it’s a promising step for this Hawks roster to take.
