Atlanta Hawks: Rapid Reactions to Thrilling 106-98 Triumph vs. Nuggets

Sweet Taste of Victory

They wouldn’t give up that advantage.

I don’t want to bury the lede here. The Nuggets looked awful in the second half. Down Paul Millsap, budding star Jamal Murray and running mate Jokic simply could not carry the load. Murray especially, who dropped 48 in a game against the Celtics earlier this year, was positively yucky on the way to just 4 points on 2-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes.

Jokic finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Juancho Hernangomez, one of the other few bright spots for the Nugs, chipped in 17.

After accounting for with the visiting team’s struggles, this was still a perfect result for the young Atlanta Hawks.

Even in a tanking season, you want victories. You want to have moments you can build on for the future. Coach Lloyd Pierce will be able to use this win as a solid foundational piece for what he wants his team to be going forward. A big-time victory over the team with the best record in the Western Conference is a huge deal.

It may not get us closer to Zion, but it does provide a glimpse at what’s possible down the road.

Get hyped.