With a 122-115 win over the Brooklyn Nets Saturday night, the Atlanta Hawks have now leap-frogged themselves into the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed with just four games remaining on the schedule. If the play-in tournament started today, Atlanta would square-off against the Cleveland Cavaliers and could possibly avoid seeing this Brooklyn team in the playoffs. Last night marked the Hawks’ fifth straight victory, and the Hawks are now poised to make a run for the playoffs. Keep in mind, all five of these victories have come without star forward, John Collins, who is out indefinitely with multiple injuries.
The Hawks had to weather an offensive onslaught in the first quarter, as Kevin Durant scored 15 points in just 12 minutes, on his way to a career-high 55 points. Despite this, Atlanta’s offense was able to find easy buckets inside the paint, as the Nets’ defense looked disinterested in stopping simple cuts to the basket in the first frame. The Hawks kept the game close, finishing out the quarter down only two points.
It was in the second quarter when Atlanta exploded both offensively and defensively. They outscored the Nets 37-20 in the second, thanks to the stellar play of Atlanta’s bench. The bench unit was on fire, decimating Brooklyn’s back-up’s by a resounding, 46-12. Besides the ridiculous play of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 86 points, the Hawks were able to dominate the Nets. Atlanta’s bench was flying through passing lanes, scoring a healthy margin of their offense on fast break scores. Both Bogdan Bogdonvic and Delon Wright recorded 2 steals in the quarter alone.
The Nets cut into the lead in the third as Kevin Durant went on multiple one-person runs. After a Trae Young buzzer-beater to end the third, the Hawks led the game by just seven points to start the fourth quarter. The bench began the quarter on fire, with Danillo Gallinari scoring two massive buckets in the paint to kick things off. Brooklyn kept themselves in the game, and after a two-person run by Durant and Irving, combined with a scoring drought from Atlanta, the Hawks found themselves in a one-point game with just two minutes remaining.
From there, Trae Young showed why his name should be thrown around in the MVP conversation this season. Young scored an amazing nine points in the final minute of the game; in an offensive explosion. It has been well-documented, that Young has played at an All-NBA level this past month and half.
On Tuesday night, the Hawks will be looking to continue their rise through the standing’s with a match-up with an Eastern Conference rival, the Toronto Raptors. Atlanta heads north of the border to player Toronto a team they are 1-2 against this season. Another big game for the Hawks and a chance to improve their own stock. Tip-off for Tuesday’s game is 7:30 p.m. eastern.
