The Atlanta Hawks had their winning streak snapped at four games, falling at home to the Los Angeles Clippers and old friend Bogdan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic had a modest performance, finishing with 12 points on 66.7% shooting (2-for-2 3P), 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in a 121-98 Clippers victory.
However, he admitted postgame that he almost slipped up during the contest. Bogdanovic nearly forgot which side he played for.
“Bogdan Bogdanovic said that he accidentally tried to high-five Trae Young after one play because he was used to seeing that face and celebrating after big plays for so many years,” NBA.com’s Kevin Chouinard posted on X on March 14.
The Hawks shared a tribute video to Bogdanovic during the game.
Bogdan Bogdanović is back in Atlanta for the first time and feeling the love 🙌 pic.twitter.com/TefXAsew09
— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2025
He spent four full seasons with the Hawks, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21.
Originally the No. 27 overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, Bogdanovic also spent three seasons with the Sacramento Kings. That makes the Hawks his longest stint in the NBA. Fittingly, he formed strong bonds with many of his former teammates.
Chouinard also reported Bogdanovic – who wears No. 10 in LA – said he would not wear his previous No. 13 again as a “tribute to Hawks fans.”
Bogdanovic entered the contest averaging 12.6/3.4/3.1 with the Clippers.
So he did not go off – like he did for 30 points in the Clippers’ previous outing – nor did he disappoint. He did turn the reunion bittersweet, though, as the Clippers routed the Hawks.
Hawks struggle offensively in Bogdan Bogdanovic's return to Atlanta
This showing marked just the third time this season the Hawks were held below 100 points in a game. All three instances have come after the calendar turned to 2025, and they have now had one in January, February, and March.
The Hawks held an eight-point advantage at halftime. But the Clippers outscored the Hawks 35-8 in the third quarter.
Young had 17 points, scoring 9 of those in the fourth quarter with the Hawks down big.
The Clippers three multiple bodies at Young defensively, and the Hawks shot 27.3% from downtown as a team. Meanwhile, the Clippers sot 54.7% overall and were 12-for-27 on long-distance looks.
This is most likely an offensive aberration for the Hawks, though they have struggled against the Western Conference all season, sporting an 8-17 mark against the other side.
Fortunately for the Hawks, just five of their final 15 games are against the West.
The Hawks are 24-18 against the Eastern Conference. That is the fifth-best mark among their conference-mates and belies their seventh-place ranking in the East standings. It could also bode well for the Hawks in the postseason.