The Atlanta Hawks fell in a close loss to a talented Trail Blazers team in Portland, in which Trae Young turned in his most efficient and under control performance to date.
In the Atlanta Hawks loss to the Trail Blazers on Saturday, they trailed by 3 points heading into the fourth quarter, which was an obvious bad sign for them.
The #Blazers are 30-0 when leading through 3 quarters. They lead by 3 against the #Hawks heading into the 4th
— Soaring Down South (@SoaringDwnSouth) January 27, 2019
Head coach Lloyd Pierce no doubt was upset early in this one, as Portland jumped out to a 40-point first quarter behind 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists from CJ McCollum. McCollum was unstoppable, taking over as lead dog in the absence of Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
Atlanta got a great effort from the 3-point line, with eight different players cashing in from deep. The Hawks finished 12/33 from the 3-point line (36.4%), which kept them in the game, especially in the second quarter. In that period, the Hawks outscored the Blazers by 11, and they went 3/8 from the 3-point line.
Lloyd Pierce’s squad finished with a 54-42 advantage in points in the paint but John Collins went 2/5 in the fourth quarter, and Young’s 10-point fourth quarter wasn’t enough to help the Hawks overcome the deficit.
Though it was the Hawks third loss in five games, they continued to show signs of growth against of the NBA’s better (and consistent) teams. So with the Atlanta Hawks road trip having five games left before they return home on February 7, it is important that they continue to play with great energy, and prove that despite their record they are one of the more competitive teams in the league.
Here are three takeaways from the Atlanta Hawks 120-111 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.