On the second night of a back-to-back, the Hawks forced overtime but fell to the Nets, 132-128, Wednesday night at State Farm Arena.
Next up, the Hawks are scheduled to face the Wizards in D.C. Friday.
Below are some takeaways from the loss:
1. Tied 55-55 at halftime, the Hawks worked their way up to a six-point lead a few times in the third quarter and matched the Nets shot for shot for most of the fourth quarter. Tied at 116 at the end of regulation, the Nets built up a six-point lead themselves, 129-123, in overtime after two dunks by Kevin Durant. The Hawks battled back and had an opportunity to tie it, but De’Andre Hunter missed a 3-pointer and they couldn’t quite pull ahead in overtime, getting some tough bounces down the stretch. “That’s a good test for our guys against a really good team, and a team that’s going to be there at the end at some point,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said.
2. This is the third time the Hawks have played the Nets, but the first time this season they’ve faced them since they acquired James Harden. Harden had 11 points in about the first three minutes of the second quarter and finished with 31 points (5-for-9 from 3-point range), second only to Durant, who had 32. The addition of Harden also gives the Nets another potent shooter and allows them to spread things out even more. Center Clint Capela was fatigued when he was subbed out in the fourth quarter, Pierce said, after having to defend the Nets’ small lineup.
3. Cam Reddish has struggled shooting the ball so far this season, shooting 35.8% from the field and 29.9% from 3-point range entering Wednesday’s game, but he had a strong performance with 24 points and had some great finishes at the rim – including a clutch left-handed finish to tie the game at 116 at the end of regulation. Reddish had missed four games from Jan. 16-26 with injuries. “We needed what he brought tonight,” Pierce said. “A downhill attacking mentality. ... I thought he played solid. I didn’t think he forced anything. I thought he had an ability to get by guys and he did that. Defensively, he’s always been a guy that we want to try and use on some of their elite players.”
4. This was the second time this season that four Hawks players scored 20-plus points, with the first time also occurring in an offensive battle vs. Brooklyn on Dec. 30. This time, Trae Young led with 28 points (7-for-22 field goals, 11-12 free throws, Reddish had 24, John Collins had 21 and De’Andre Hunter had 21.
5. The Hawks are 0-3 on the second night of back-to-backs this season. They struggled last year, too, on the second night of back-to-backs, going 2-10.
Stat of the game
89 (what the Nets’ new “Big Three” combined to score, with Durant’s 32, Harden’s 31 and Kyrie Irving’s 26)
Star of the game
Durant (led the Nets in scoring and had two key dunks in overtime)
Quotable
“We can play with anybody. ... We’ve got to find some ways to win at the end.” (Reddish on how the Hawks competed against one of the better teams in the East)
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