Atlanta Hawks Lose To Clippers 99-84
The Atlanta Hawks fell to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night in their final game before a much needed All-Star break. What went wrong in the loss?
Well, that’s not how you want to head into the All-Star break. The Atlanta Hawks would probably like to have that game back. In their final game before the aforementioned break, the Hawks fell to the Los Angeles Clippers 99-84.
As with most of their recent losses, a single quarter doomed them. The Hawks battled in the first quarter, holding a 22-21 after a single period of play. In the second quarter, the Clippers took control of the game and never looked back.
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Los Angeles outscored Atlanta 33-18 in the second quarter and 29-24 in the third quarter, leading to their 15-point victory. It continues Atlanta’s trend of either winning close, or losing by a significant margin (Kings loss notwithstanding).
The Hawks struggled on the offensive end of the court. They shot 40.5 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from three-point range. All-Star Paul Millsap had one of his worst games in quite some time. Millsap finished the game with eight points, two rebounds, two steals, and one assist on 3-for-12 shooting.
Dennis Schroder led the Hawks in scoring, ending his night with 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting. Dwight Howard finished with another double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. wasn’t as explosive as he has been lately, but he still finished with 11 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
There were some positives from the blowout loss. Taurean Prince looked good in 25 minutes of action. He shot just 3-for-8 from the field, but scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds. DeAndre’ Bembry only played eight minutes, but he shot 2-for-3 from the field with four points, three assists, and two rebounds.
Turnovers were the biggest issue for the Hawks, as they had 20 turnovers in the game. In Chris Vivlamore’s recap in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Paul Millsap credited Los Angeles for forcing those turnovers, while also saying that some were careless mistakes.
"“Mostly their pressure,” Millsap said of the turnovers. “They had good pressure on the wings. They got out and denied a few passes. Some of them were careless. I threw a few away. Unforced.”"
The Clippers were much better on offense. As a team, they shot 46.8 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three-point distance. It was a balanced performance. Blake Griffin led them in scoring with 17 points and nine rebounds on 6-for-15 shooting.
J.J. Redick added 15 points on 5-for-8 from three-point range, while Austin Rivers chipped in 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Wesley Johnson and Raymond Felton each finished with 11 points. DeAndre Jordan only scored seven points, but he grabbed 16 rebounds. LA’s bench scored a total of 42 points.
In quotes from the Associated Press’ game recap, Griffin spoke about the contributions from the bench unit.
"“It wasn’t just that they were scoring points,” Griffin said of the bench, “it was the way they made it tough for them.”"
The loss leaves Atlanta with a 32-24 record as they head into the All-Star break. This break is much needed for the team. They have played some wild overtime games in recent weeks, a little rest can only be a positive thing.
It’s tough to project where this team will end up in the standings. They are currently occupying the 5th spot, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see them finish anywhere between 3rd and 6th. What they do at the trade deadline will go a long way in determining how good they can be.
Next: Hawks Commit To The Present
Buckle up, Hawks fans. The ride is just getting started.