Atlanta Hawks fans can take a collective sigh of relief, the sky is not falling. After going 2-8 in their last 10 games, and coming in to Monday’s game as losers of their last five, the Hawks knocked off the defending-champion, Milwaukee Bucks, 121-114, on Martin Luther King Day in Atlanta.
Atlanta has also been dismal when playing at home, but last night’s win snapped a 10-game home losing-streak, dating back to November. This should be considered a good start to the upcoming home-stretch for the Hawks, who play their next seven of eight games at State Farm Arena. It will not be a cakewalk though, the next eight opponents for Atlanta are against teams that are either firmly in the playoff picture, or at the very least, play-in tournament contenders.
The Hawks showed signs of the team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, albeit, coming up short in losses against the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks. On Monday night, they finally got it done and in dramatic fashion as well. Atlanta trailed Milwaukee, 97-86, with about 9 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Kris Middleton, who finished the game with 34 points, was having his way offensively, and Giannis Antetokounmpo chipped in 27 as well. From that point forward, Atlanta outscored Milwaukee 35-17 the rest of the way.
For the first time in a while, the Hawks executed in the fourth quarter with timely-made shots while getting stops on the defensive end. Trae Young, De’Andre Hunter, and Danilo Gallinari, hit shot after shot in the fourth quarter. Onyeka Okongwu was an absolute stalwart on defense. He was the primary defender on Antetokounmpo in the final frame, and held the 2-time MVP to 8 points on 2-of-6 shooting. Okongwu also forced a key jump ball on Antetokounmpo with 4 minutes and 22 seconds left.
Young finished the game with 30 points and 11 assists, and had 15 points of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. Hunter looked good again in his fourth game back from injury, finishing with 20 points and 9 rebounds. John Collins and Gallinari both chipped in with 16 as well. It was a great team win all the way around, and something the club can build-off of.
Young spoke on the importance of Monday’s victory, “Hopefully this is a good turning point for us to string together some wins.”
State Farm Arena was jumping. The crowd made it feel like a playoff atmosphere, which should be the case when a defending-champion comes into town. The feeling around this win must be a feeling of optimism. The season is far from over, and if the Hawks can string some wins together and go on a run, this may be the victory the team looks back on as the catalyst.
“It first starts with believing,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “You’ve got to believe you can win a game. I think we’ve had some doubts.”
Atlanta now shifts its focus to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who travel to State Farm Arena for a cross-conference battle on Wednesday. The T-Wolves have gone 5-5 in their last ten games, and lost their only other meeting with the Hawks, 121-110, in Minnesota back in early-December. Tip-off for that game is 7:30pm eastern.
