Hawks earn comeback win - but what comes next?

Atlanta Hawks’ Dennis Schroder (17) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks’ Matthew Dellavedova during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 9, 2016, in Milwaukee. The Hawks won 114-110. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Atlanta Hawks’ Dennis Schroder (17) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks’ Matthew Dellavedova during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 9, 2016, in Milwaukee. The Hawks won 114-110. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

The Hawks may look back on Friday’s dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Bucks as the game that turned around their season.

Or maybe not.

It depends on what the Hawks do next.

After losing 10 out of 11 games, the Hawks defeated the injury-depleted Heat at home Wednesday to snap a seven-game skid. It was a much-needed win. However, to overcome a 20-point deficit and defeat the Bucks on the road Friday may be more meaningful.

“(Kent) Bazemore said at halftime, this could be a turnaround for our season,” Tim Hardaway Jr. said after the game. “It just shows with the resiliency in this locker room and playing for each other, it’s at an all-time high right now. We need it more than ever after having that tough stretch.”

The Hawks have faced a deficit of 10 or more points 10 times this season. They lost every one of those game before rallying after being down 64-44 at halftime to the Bucks. When the Hawks faced a double-digit deficit during the losing streak, it would grow. Some to 20 points, one to 30 points and one to 40 points. The Hawks said they had enough.

“The message was don’t lose by 20,” Paul Millsap said. “Don’t do it again. It was just about having some pride, going out there and trying to get it done.”

The Hawks did get it done. They scored 70 second-half points. That included 40 third-quarter points, just four points less than they managed in the first two quarters. Dennis Schroder scored a career-high 33 points. Millsap finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and one steal. The Hawks shot 56 percent and made 9 of 17 3-pointers in the second half.

The Hawks got within six points in the third quarter. They tied the game at 103-103 on a Millsap layup with 4:18 left. They took a two-point lead on the following possession when Kyle Korver hit a jumper. The Hawks took the lead for good, 107-106, on a Schroder layup with 1:07 remaining. Hardaway Jr. put the finishing touches on the comeback with a corner 3-pointer with 43 seconds left.

Good win. What’s next?

The Hawks host the Magic on Tuesday and then face a tough road-home back-to-back against the Raptors and Hornets Friday and Saturday.

“Only if we continue to work and get better every day,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said when asked if the Hawks could use the victory as a springboard for the rest of the season. “Tomorrow we have to come in and have a good practice. We have to have the right mindset from the jump ball on Tuesday.”

Added Millsap: “We hope so. We have to take care of business Tuesday. Get another win and keep building off the last game we’ve had. Hopefully, we’ll continue to get better like we did tonight.”

The Hawks (12-12) were once the top team in the Eastern Conference after a 9-2 start to the season. They fell to ninth after the losing streak. They remain just out of the playoff picture after the two wins but are just one and a half games out of the third spot.

“That’s a big one,” Schroder said of the win. “We needed that for sure. We were in a hole for the last two weeks but now we’ve won two games in a row. We were down 20 and fought all the way back. I think it feels good for everybody in here.”