It took them all of 30 games, but the Atlanta Hawks (23-25) have finally moved up and out of the 12th spot in the Eastern Conference following their 108-92 win over the Boston Celtics. The Celtics came in having won two in a row, four of their last six, and with Jayson Tatum averaging 43.5 points in those two wins.
He would finish this one with 20 points on 29.4 percent shooting and just 2-of-8 from beyond the arc. The Hawks forced Tatum into five turnovers and the Celtics into 16 as a team with five in the fourth quarter alone.
Atlanta also came away with 10 blocks, 10 steals, and just 10 turnovers for the game as the Hawks overtook the New York Knicks (who fell to the Milwaukee Bucks) for 11th.
That’s still a long way to go but is a far cry from how they were trending.
The Atlanta Hawks latest win helps them finally rank up a bit in the Eastern Conference
This game saw the two teams tie up at 16 apiece early before the Hawks closed on a 16-4 run to take a 12-point lead into the second quarter. They held the Celtics to 1-of-5 shooting from deep while recording five steals and four blocks in the opening frame. Eight of the 10 Hawks players to touch the floor in the first quarter put up points.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter each had two steals in first with the latter finishing the game with a third to go along with two blocks.
He only had five points. But Huerter certainly showcased his entire skillset in this one.
Bogdanovic has returned from his five-game absence as if he never missed any time at all. The fifth-year NBA vet is averaging 18.5 points on 52 percent shooting and has gone 6-of-15 from three-point range.
The game also featured more vintage looks from Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams off of the bench.
Williams had just eight points but hit a pair of threes, one from each corner, just before the end of the first quarter to push the Hawks lead back up. Gallinari put the moves on display, scoring 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting and taking his man off the dribble more than once, including this nice behind-the-back step-back three which Gallo played up afterward.
Gallinari gives a bow after he puts on a show for the smooth stepback 👀@ATLHawks lead in Q2 on NBA League Pass ⤵https://t.co/L8Rrlv9ZoR pic.twitter.com/ugiDS5pQEE
— NBA (@NBA) January 29, 2022
John Collins and Trae Young tied with 21 points apiece. Collins snagged nine boards and had four blocks.
Young dished out six assists but had nine rebounds and a pair of steals. He shot just 32.0 percent overall and went 2-of-9 from distance but was very candid about his night in relation to that of the team in his postgame availability.
"“We got stops. We played defense and fought. Shots weren’t going, especially for me. I shot the ball like shit tonight. It was a great defensive game for us against a team that can score a lot of points.” – Trae Young via Chris Kirschner/The Athletic"
Things got dicey after an 18-point third quarter. But the Hawks responded to every rally by the Celtics with one of their own down the stretch including closing on a 20-5 run before the starters were pulled.
The win also brings their record in their City Edition jerseys to 2-5 with both wins coming on this streak and another shot scheduled for Sunday’s tilt against the Los Angeles Lakers.
And with games against the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns left on this road trip, things won’t get any easier so the Hawks will certainly need to keep up this renewed effort and energy, particularly on defense.