This time, the Hawks didn’t blow a significant lead.
The Hawks led wire-to-wire but needed to hold off the Lakers in the fourth quarter for a 100-87 victory Friday night at Philips Arena.
The Hawks (13-9) led by as many as 19 points in the first half. The Lakers got as close as four points before the Hawks ended the game on a 13-4 run to secure the victory.
The Lakers (3-16) failed to win a second straight game in what was Kobe Bryant’s final game in Atlanta. He was cheered loudly throughout.
Here are the key players and five observations on the game:
Three key players
Al Horford: The Hawks center scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Mike Scott: The reserve forward came off the bench to score 14 points, include five straight to start the fourth quarter.
Kobe Bryant: The Lakers guard finished with 14 points of 4 of 19 shooting.
Five observations
1. Farewell Kobe
Bryant had plenty of support for his farewell. A clear majority of fans at Philips Arena wore purple and gold. Bryant got a huge ovation during pregame introductions. The Lakers star was cheered each time he touched the ball. Following the first quarter, the Hawks had a tribute listing his many accomplishments while the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Bryant walked onto the court and acknowledged the cheers. The crowd remained on its feet for a video tribute which ended with Hawks’ Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins saying “I’ll see you in the Hall.” Another loud ovation followed. Bryant missed his first five shots. His first points came from the free-throw line with 9:44 left in the second quarter and his first basket came with 7:20 remaining in the period.
2. Millsap to the rescue
Paul Millsap helped the Hawks save a victory. He scored six points in the final period after the Lakers pulled within four points. He also had several key rebounds as the Hawks pushed their lead back to 10 points. Millsap finished with 15 points.
3. No lead is safe
The Hawks held a 19-point lead in the second quarter. It was nearly gone in the third quarter. The Lakers got as close as six points and went into the final quarter trailing 72-66. Bryant hit back-to-back 3-pointers at one point that had the crowd chanting “Ko-be! Ko-be!” The Lakers outscored the Hawks 30-20 in the period on the strength of 6 of 8 shooting from 3-point range. The Hawks couldn’t hold a 17-point second-quarter lead in a loss to the Raptors Wednesday.
4. Long-range early
The Hawks took 12 first-quarter 3-pointers and made just four of them. They took only 11 2-pointers in the opening period. The Hawks relied on the long-distance shot much less in the second quarter. They took just five 3-pointers (made two) and 17 2-pointers (made nine). The Hawks were 11 of 22 in the second quarter, which included a 17-5 run.
5. Teague climbing charts
Jeff Teague moved past Wilkins (2,321) for seventh in team history in assists with his fifth of the game. Teague took possession of the spot with a no-look pass to Horford for a dunk in the third quarter. The Hawks point guard finished with five assists for a career total of 2,322.
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