CHICAGO -- The Hawks took care of a pivotal game on their late-season schedule Monday night at the United Center with a 113-101 win over the Bulls.
Here are five observations.
1. The Hawks churned out some consistent ball movement, which allowed them to take advantage of the Bulls’ inability to stop them from deep. The Bulls on average allow 39.8 3-point attempts per game, while the Hawks average 37.7 attempts from deep per game.
They feasted from long range, knocking down 14 3s by the end of the first half. It’s the most 3s in a first half the Hawks have made this season. It’s also the most in a single half since 15 against the Magic on March 3, 2021.
All but three of the 10 players who checked in scored at least one 3-pointer and the Hawks ended the night shooting 47.5% from 3.
2. Two-way wing Vit Krejci lit the spark for the winners nin the second quarter, going 5-of-5 from 3. Krejci’s shooting barrage helped the Hawks really spread the floor as he hit wide-open look after wide-open look.
Krejci took little time to shoot the ball when it found him, especially as the habits and ball movement Hawks coach Quin Snyder has emphasized has started to set in.
The 23-year-old’s first 3 of the night came from the corner, after he shifted away from defenders and Garrison Mathews made the extra pass to find him. Then Bruno Fernando found him with a handoff for another. He hit his third off a screen assist from De’Andre Hunter and his fourth came off the dribble after brought the ball cross-court.
He hit his final 3 of the first half to beat the buzzer and scored 15 of his career-high 18 points in the second quarter. His 3-point shooting barrage helped the Hawks close the first half on a 14-6 run.
“It’s just you just get hot,” Krejci said. “I mean, that’s one of the best feelings you get as basketball players. When you ask anybody who played basketball is one of the best feelings. Everything that I shot felt like it was just going in right away. You know, I knew. So, it’s just a great feeling.”
3. The Hawks didn’t let up when they returned after the half and they extended their lead to as many as 17 points in the final two quarters. While big leads typically contribute to light moods on the bench, tempers flared for the Hawks.
With 2:04 left to play and during the final timeout of the game, the NBC Chicago Bulls broadcast picked up Snyder and Bogdan Bogdanovic in a heated exchange. The two quickly moved forward, dapped each other up and hugged it out.
After the game, they both said that their relationship is good.
“Bogi was terrific, was terrific,” Snyder said. “And he and I are in a great place, better than good, great, and I love how he played as well. I mean, he’s defending which has been a point of pride for him. And you know, obviously, the night he had he was as efficient as you can be.”
Bogdanovic, who led the team with 20 points, echoed Snyder and added that it is a part of their relationship.
“We are doing this almost every other minute or we are verbally fighting all the time, which is normal,” Bogdanovic said. “That means we both care and everyone cares.”
4. The Hawks saw the return of both Jalen Johnson (right ankle sprain) and Kobe Bufkin (left big toe sprain). Both contributed to the team’s big shooting night.
Johnson scored eight points in his first three minutes off the bench, hitting a pair of back-to-back 3s and then pulling up for a jumper from midrange. He scored 11 points, had four rebounds, and two steals.
Bufkin also knocked triple from the top of the key in the fourth quarter.
5. Monday’s win in Chicago allowed the Hawks to make up so much-needed ground on the Bulls for the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference standings. With the win, they moved .5 game back from the Bulls and a chance at home-court advantage in the Play-In game.
Stat to know
Clint Capela has 14 career double-doubles versus Chicago.
Quotable
“Nothing is luck. I think everything is work. His just paying off right now for him.” Bogdan Bogdanovic on Vit Krejci’s big night.
Up Next
The Hawks return home to host the Pistons on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena.
