Atlanta Hawks Fall In Tight Battle Against Chicago Bulls
The Atlanta Hawks needed a win on Sunday when they traveled to Chicago to take on the Bulls. They were denied by Jimmy Butler and company.
This loss could be one that will haunt the Hawks for some time.
The Hawks led by nine points with under five minutes remaining and were outscored 15-4 down the stretch as they fell to the Chicago Bulls, 106-104. This was not a bad performance by the Hawks, especially considering how the team has struggled in recent weeks. But execution down the stretch hurt them, badly.
And so did Jimmy Butler.
More from Soaring Down South
- Start, Bench, Cut: Sorting through the Hawks’ power forward options
- Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic reacts to earning FIBA World Cup championship bid
- When does training camp start for the Atlanta Hawks?
- Grade the trade: Hawks deal Trae Young to Clippers in shocking proposal
- Dejounte Murray rips NBA 2K after Atlanta Hawks ratings reveal
Butler put the Bulls on his back down the stretch of this game and finished with 33 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. He also shot 11-for-20 from the field and connected on all ten of his free-throw attempts. Butler was absolutely dominant in whatever he wanted to do and delivered with the game on the line.
After a very costly turnover by Dennis Schroder, the Bulls had the ball with under 30 seconds left and the score tied at 104. Butler was fouled on a pull-up jumper by Kent Bazemore and made both free-throws to give the Bulls the lead for good.
But Butler was not alone in this game.
Rajon Rondo scored a season-high 25 points while grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing out six assists, and getting three steals. This was one of Rondo’s best performances as a Bull and Schroder didn’t have many answers when trying to defend him.
But Schroder played very well in his own right. He finished with 29 points (12-of-19 shooting) to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. While Schroder had some struggles in guarding Rondo, Rondo struggled even worse with keeping Schroder in front of him. But unfortunately, the critical turnover that gave the Bulls the ball with under 30 seconds left will be the play that is best remembered by many.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had some struggles with shooting from the field but did have a decent game. he finished with 20 points, five boards, and five assists. But Hardaway had a great look from the top of the key as time expired to win the game and could not convert.
Dwight Howard and Ersan Ilyasova each had average performances with 13 points apiece. Howard also contributed 12 rebounds.
The Hawks did play alright in this game, though. They battled back from a 10-point third-quarter deficit and shot 39% from three in this game and had 25 team assists. But they just could not guard the Bulls well enough.
Chicago shot 47% from the floor and 40% from three. The Bulls scored more than 25 points in every quarter but the first and got points when it mattered most.
This was a very tough loss for the Hawks and this was a game that they needed. But they did not get it. And now the stakes get very high. With six games remaining, the Hawks are just 2.0 games ahead of the ninth-place Indiana Pacers and have a tough schedule remaining.
Next: The Hawks Need Two Wins This Weekend
This one could come back to haunt them.