This time, the Hawks faced the Trail Blazers’ dynamic backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
On their home court.
They still won.
The Hawks used an 11-4 fourth-quarter run to start a four-game western road trip with a 104-98 victory in a nationally televised game Wednesday at the Moda Center. The Hawks swept the season series and have won four straight over the Trail Blazers. The sweep came after the Hawks won in Atlanta in December with the Trail Blazers starting guards both out injured.
The Hawks (26-17) have won three straight and are a season-best nine games over .500. The victory tied coach Mike Budenholzer with Bob Weiss for eighth on the franchise’s all-time win list at 124. The Trail Blazers (19-26) couldn’t hold on after taking a one-point lead with 5:18 remaining.
The Hawks road trip continues at the Kings Thursday.
Here are the key players and five observations on the game:
Three key players
Paul Millsap: The power forward finished with 23 points and nine rebounds. He took just 10 field goal attempts, making all three 3-pointers, in an efficient night.
Kent Bazemore: The small forward also scored 23 points, including all four free-throw attempts in the final 13 seconds.
Al Horford: The center finished with 16 points and eight blocks.
Five observations
1. Fourth-quarter rally I
The Hawks took a two-point lead, 74-72, into the final quarter. The Trail Blazers used a 12-0 run to go up by five, 84-79. The Hawks answered with an 8-0 run keyed by back-to-back 3-pointers by Bazemore and Kyle Korver.
2. Fourth-quarter rally II
The Trail Blazers regained the lead, 88-87, before the Hawks’ decisive run. They used an 11-4 run, over 3:25, to gain the needed separation. Millsap had five points, including an incredible tip-in, and Horford had four points in the run.
3. McCollum/Lillard combination
The guards combined for 46 points (47 percent of the Trail Blazers’ offense) with McCollum finishing with a game-high 28 points and Lillard with 18 points. However, the two combined to go 20 of 45 from the field to collect the points. McCollum was 12 of 23 and Lillard was 8 of 22. Lillard needed 10 fourth-quarter points to get his total.
4. Millsap continues All-Star campaign
Millsap had to fight through foul trouble again, picking up three in the first half. He wouldn’t be whistled for another infraction. He has clearly become the Hawks best player. Budenholzer called Millsap’s efficient shooting night “impressive.”
5. Responding to timeout
The Hawks fell behind by seven points, 11-4, early. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer called a timeout and the Hawks responded out of the break. They ended the opening quarter on a 25-7 run to take a 29-18 advantage. During the Hawks’ run, the Trail Blazers went 2 of 13 from the field with three turnovers. The Hawks would lead by as many as 13 points early in the second before the Trail Blazers responded with a run of their own. They outscored the Hawks 13-2 to pull within a point, 43-42. The Hawks led 48-43 at intermission.
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