Hawks fans catch strays after 2nd loss to Nets in 3 days

As if it was bad enough that Atlanta Hawks (26-34) fans had to witness their favorite team fall short in an all-too-familiar fashion against the Brooklyn Nets, they also took some playful fire.

The Hawks dropped back-to-back games against the Nets in three days. And their second loss featured plenty of blooper-reel moments as the Hawks blew a 13-point lead to ultimately fall 114-102 on March 2.

There were enough clips to make an actual reel, which an affiliate of Statmuse actually did.

“Imagine being a Hawks fan,” BrickMuse – which is associated with the popular data site, Statmuse – posted on X, formerly Twitter, following the game.

“I don’t think there’s any Hawks fans left,” a fan wrote in response.

The Hawks are 26-34 on the season. They have lost two straight and five of their last seven games. That includes going 2-2 without Trae Young, who one fan took the opportunity to name-drop.

Young had been a hot topic in the immediate aftermath of the trade deadline amid rumor the Hawks discussed a deal for the three-time All-Star with the San Antonio Spurs.

“Trey [sic] to Spurs, the fan posted.

The Hawks boast a better net efficiency differential without Young on the floor this season, per Cleaning the Glass. But that also includes data from Young’s slow start to the season. Their defensive gains without him have also been boosted.

They logged back-to-back wins with a pair of sub-100-point showings from diminished opponents when Young first went down.

“Man this s*** is depressing,” another fan said, quote posting the blooper reel.

Hawks offense in the tank without Trae Young

Put more simply, the Hawks have a 117.2 offensive rating on the 2023-24 season. That has dropped to 110.5 over the last four games with Young sidelined, offsetting their notable defensive gains in that span.

The Hawks have a 119.4 defensive rating on the season, which has dropped to 109.5 over the last four games.

Again, though, back-to-back sub-100-point efforts by the Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic helped.

They have a 105.9 offensive rating and a 127.3 defensive rating over their last two games, both losses to the Nets, who are gaining ground on them in the race for the final spot in the Play-In Tournament.

Their opponents certainly came in with the mindset that they needed to take these to games from the Hawks.

The Hawks are still a full 2.0 games up on the Nets in the Eastern Conference standings.

We heard from Dejounte Murray about the Hawks not being on the same page after the first loss. And Head Coach Quin Snyder noted defensive pressure at the point of attack befuddled the Hawks’ offense in the second one.

Young was slated to miss at least 13 games before even being re-evaluated following surgery on his pinky.

The Hawks have five of their next seven games on the road where they are 11-18 this season.

That includes six games against current playoff teams – the Hawks are 13-23 against teams with winning records – and a five-game road trip. Will the Hawks fall much further before their dynamic three-time All-Star point guard returns?