The Hawks had a seven-game win streak against the Miami Heat snapped.
That’s how bad things have been of late.
The Heat led by as many as 18 points en route to a 100-88 victory Monday night at Philips Arena. The Hawks (14-12) have lost three in a row and 10 of their past 16 games. Not even a career-high point total from Kent Bazemore could save the Hawks.
The Heat (14-9) won their second in a row and avenged a loss to the Hawks in Miami earlier this season.
Here are the key players and five observations from the game:
Three key players
Gerald Green: He scored 20 points off the Heat bench, including four 3-pointers.
Chris Bosh: He led the Heat with a team-high 24 points and added 10 rebounds for the double-double.
Kent Bazemore: He scored a game-high and career-high 28 points for the Hawks on 11-of-18 shooting, including three 3-pointers.
Five observations
1. Another deep hole
It’s been an ugly trend. Poor shooting led the Hawks to a double-digit deficit – again. This time they faced a 15-point deficit in the third quarter. It grew to as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter. The got as close to nine points in the final period. The Hawks are 2-9 this season when trailing by double digits.
2. Green steps in
The Hawks had no answer for the Heat’s Gerald Green off the bench. While Dwyane Wade finished with seven points, Green had his big night on 9-of-14 shooting. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including his team’s first seven.
3. Horford vs. Dragic
Al Horford and Goran Dragic were already having a little back and forth when it got bloody in the third quarter. Horford was guarded by Dragic during a switch. Dragic was called for a foul for a forearm but then took an elbow to the mouth. Dragic lost part of a tooth on the play and had to leave the game. He returned later in the quarter but did not require stitches. Earlier in the game, Dragic drove for a layup and turned to Horford with a flexing motion.
4. Long-distance blanks
The Hawks shooting woes from 3-point range continued. They finished 8 of 33 from behind the arc. They were 0 of 6 in the first quarter and 2 of 14 by the half. By the end of the third quarter they were 5 of 23. How bad was it? Kyle Korver connected from 3-point range in the fourth quarter, his first in six attempts. He paused for a second to lean his head back and give a sigh relief. The Hawks were 5 of 24 from long range against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
5. Bazemore starts
The Hawks changed their starting lineup to re-insert Bazemore into the first five. It paid immediate dividends. Bazemore scored seven of the Hawks’ first nine points. He started the game with a three-point play and finished 3 of 5 from the field in the first quarter. Bazemore did so while guarding Wade.
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