The Atlanta Hawks escaped Capital One Arena Friday night with a 117-114 nail-biting victory over the Washington Wizards. The Hawks led this game from start to finish, but a 14-to-5 scoring run, led by Wizards guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, late in the fourth quarter, made for an interesting finish in the nation’s capital. Kyle Kuzma had a wide-open half-court shot to send the game into overtime. The ball drifted in slow motion as it traveled through the air, but it hit the back iron to seal the victory for the Hawks as time expired.
The Hawks showed a sense of urgency from the get-go and on the the first offensive possession for the Wizards, De’Andre Hunter forced a turnover on Kuzma, and took the ball straight down the court for an and-one basket. Hunter continued this aggressive attack on both ends of the floor, tying his season-high with 26 points, which included an 11-point first quarter. This set the tone for his sensational night. Caldwell-Pope shot an exceptional 10-12 from the field and finished 6-of-6 from three for a season-high 28 points.
Turnovers separated the teams’ offensive performances. The Hawks only committed four turnovers compared to the Wizards 14. Atlanta’s offense ran smoothly during the first half, with Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Hunter, being the focal points. However, the tide turned in the second half. The Hawks went away from both player and ball movement and relied more on isolation basketball. Bogdanovic hit clutch shots throughout the game, beating both the first and third quarter buzzer’s to give the Hawks momentum-changing baskets. However, the isolation ball let the Wizards linger and almost complete a 14-point comeback victory.
John Collins made his long-anticapted return to the court for the first time since February 11, due to a right foot strain. Collins played 24 minutes off the bench and finished with nine points and six rebounds. Young did not shoot as efficiently as he did against Chicago on Thursday night, but he had good counting stats in the second half, finishing with 25 points and eight assists. Young iced the game at the free-throw line, sinking four clutch free throws in-a-row. Bogdanovic added 17 points off the bench and continues to fill up the stat sheet, adding six rebounds and two steals.
Clint Capela’s play has been stellar since the All-Star break. He recorded his second-straight double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while blocking three shots. In one sequence in the first half, Capela blocked a shot, had a great contest on a one-on-one fast break, got an offensive rebound, and then blocked another layup. These energy and hustle plays have come in bunches for Capela since the break.
It should be noted that Hawks guard, Kevin Huerter, left the game late in the fourth quarter with a possible left shoulder injury, according to Head Coach Nate McMillan.
Caldwell-Pope hit tough shots for the Wizards all night. With 25 seconds to go and the Hawks up 113-108, he made the game a one-possession affair, as he hit an extremely difficult contested-three over Hawks defender, Delon Wright. Kuzma finished with a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double but went 0-of-6 from behind the arc. Rui Hachimura played well off the bench for Washington, scoring 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, as well as 3-of-4 from three. Daniel Gafford, the Wizards’ best defender, was in foul trouble right from the start, earning two fouls within the first three minutes of the game. As a result, he only played 18 minutes which was a key factor in letting the Hawks drive to the rim and create more open three’s.
The Hawks have a golden opportunity to get back to that elusive .500 record with a win over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Monday. The Pistons have played well over the last few games, winning three out of their last four. The Hawks need to approach this game with a sense of urgency to ensure they even their record. A win will put the Hawks in a prime position to push up in the playoff picture, sitting a only a half-game behind the Brooklyn Nets for the eighth seed and three games back of the Toronto Raptors for the seventh seed.
