he Hawks fell to the Chicago Bulls 118-113 on Tuesday night at the United Center. Jalen Johnson returned to the starting lineup but unfortunately, De’Andre Hunter went down with right knee inflammation over the weekend. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks after a non-surgical procedure, so that meant Head Coach Quin Snyder moved Saddiq Bey to the starting small forward spot.
Johnson wasted no time making his impact felt on the court, scoring the Hawks’ first four points of the night on a layup and putback. Other than Johnson, Atlanta started ice cold from the field, converting 3-14 attempts. The Bulls capitalized on the Hawks’ shooting struggles with a 10-2 run, but the Hawks quickly countered with two threes to cut the Bulls’ lead to 19-17. Andre Drummond bullied Atlanta from the first quarter to the final buzzer. He racked up eight points and five rebounds on perfect shooting. Chicago’s bench gave them a boost to end the quarter. Jevon Carter hit back-to-back threes and Ayo Dosunmu cashed in another from downtown to end the first frame on a Chicago 9-0 run. The Bulls entered the second quarter with a 28-17 lead- the lowest point total for the Hawks in a quarter this season.
Atlanta’s bench kept them in the game early, as they made 6-10 from the field. They led a 17-6 run to cut Chicago’s lead to 36-35. Johnson defended DeMar DeRozan well throughout the first half, holding the professional scorer to just six points at halftime. Dejounte Murray caught fire to extend the lead 47-40, and the Bulls did not score for three minutes. The Hawks held Chicago to only 14 points through 10 minutes in the second quarter, but the two buckets DeRozan scored to end the second gave him the boost he needed to succeed in the second half. Drummond led all scorers with 14 points and 12 rebounds, as the Hawks took a 56-50 lead into the locker room.
The Bulls started the third quarter on a 14-5 run led by DeRozan and Drummond, taking a 69-66 lead. The teams went back and forth for the majority of the third quarter, as Trae Young dazzled with his playmaking. Johnson threw down a ferocious putback dunk with just over a minute left in the frame to silence the crowd at the United Center. However, the Bulls recaptured an 83-82 lead to head into the final quarter their first lead since the score was 40-39.
As the fourth quarter began, neither team gained any major separation until over six minutes left. Drummond secured his 20th point and rebound, as the Bulls extended the lead to 101-97. When the Hawks needed a bucket in the worst way, Bey came away with a clutch offensive rebound and stick back to cut Chicago’s lead to 109-108 with three minutes left. This was either team’s game for the taking, but DeRozan and the Bulls came through in the clutch. Alex Caruso generated a key charge on Murray and stole an outlet pass to give DeRozan more opportunities to punish Atlanta on the offensive end. He knocked down three clutch buckets, including a smooth up-and-under layup to ice the game.
Trae Young’s 30-and-10 game streak came to an end. He shot 6-17 from the floor for 21 points and 12 assists. Murray also struggled with his shot, totaling 17 points, six rebounds and two steals. Johnson played 29 minutes en route to 10 points, four assists and nine boards. Bey scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Bogdan Bogdanović led the Hawks with 22 off the bench. Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu struggled inside with Drummond throughout the contest. Capela put up 13 points but secured just five rebounds. Okongwu dropped 11 points and grabbed six boards.
For Chicago, After a rough first half, DeRozan ended with 25 points and six assists. Drummond turned back the clock with a monster 24-point, 25-rebound double-double, and Coby White put up 19 points (7-22 FG). Caruso added 11, while Dosunmu filled up the stat sheet off the bench with 19 points, seven boards, four assists and three steals. Carter gave the Bulls a strong boost in the first half with 10 points on the night.
The Hawks have now lost three consecutive games and own a 12-18 record. If they are to turn the season around, it has to be soon. The trade deadline is approaching on Feb 8, and the players have to give the front office a reason to improve the team for a playoff push. Atlanta’s next chance to get back in the win column comes Friday night when the Sacramento Kings visit State Farm Arena.
