With a strong second half and 38 points by Trae Young, the Hawks beat the shorthanded Clippers 108-99, ending their seven-game win streak, Tuesday night at State Farm Arena.
Next up, on the second night of their back-to-back, the Hawks (9-8) will host the Nets Wednesday.
Below are some takeaways from the win:
1. Although the Hawks are used to being shorthanded, the Clippers (13-5) had it worse this go-around: they were missing three starters in Kawhi Leonard (health and safety protocols), Paul George (health and safety protocols) and Patrick Beverley (right knee soreness). The Hawks were missing Cam Reddish (right Achilles tightness), Bogdan Bogdanovic (avulsion fracture, right knee) and Kris Dunn (right ankle surgery), but held the Clippers to under 100 points and came back after a slow first half in which they shot 35.9% (14-for-39) from the field and 1-for-7 (14.3%) from 3-point range, adding 10 turnovers.
2. In the third quarter, the Hawks chipped away at their deficit until they took the lead. Young, who had 12 points in the first half (0-for-1 from 3), got going with back-to-back 3′s and a floater, a shot that hasn’t been falling for him much lately, stretching the Hawks’ advantage to seven points. Young had 14 points in the third quarter alone (5-7 field goals, 2-3 from 3), and he finished with a game-high 38 points (12-23 FG, 3-7 from 3, 11-11 on free throws).
Young appeared to tweak his left ankle late in the fourth quarter, but he stayed in the game and hit a 32-footer to put the game out of reach, 101-90, with about two minutes to go.
“I think we just upped our intensity and played a little bit harder,” Young said of the second half. “... For us, we just need to do a better job of just attacking that first half the same way we do the second, and that’s something we can work on, for sure.”
3. Kevin Huerter didn’t make a shot for three quarters. But, when the Hawks needed him most, he showed up in a big way. Just as the Clippers had tied things up in the fourth quarter, Huerter hit back-to-back 3′s and added a cutting layup to give the Hawks some breathing room. He finished with 13 points, all in the fourth, to help the Hawks seal the win.
4. John Collins had a strong defensive game with a career-high five blocks. Collins, who continues to show defensive improvement, finished with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. Clint Capela added a double-double of 13 points and 19 rebounds.
5. This game was played on the one-year anniversary of Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s death. At his pregame media availability, coach Lloyd Pierce wore the Hawks’ “Thank you Kobe” shirts they had made previously, and talked about Bryant’s work off the court prior to his passing: “I’d say the biggest thing, I’d say for me, what I miss is what I think he was becoming – which is a tremendous role model, a leader, specifically for women’s sports, for his daughters, the father figure that he was and is.”
After Young’s late 3-pointer to ice the game, he held up and called out “24,” Bryant’s number, to honor him.
Stat of the game
39.7 (what Young is averaging over the past three games, after scoring 38 Tuesday and continuing his hot streak)
Star of the game
Young (led the Hawks in scoring with 38)
Quotable
“One thing I think about, when I think about Kobe, is big shots. To close out games and hit big shots in big moments. For me, late in the game, it was a big shot for our team, and it was the first thing I thought of, so that’s what led to that.” (Young on holding up “24” after his big 3-pointer in the fourth)
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