Call it the Staples Sweep.
The Hawks scored back-to-back road victories over the Lakers and Clippers in impressive fashion.
A night after a blowout win, the Hawks overcame a 17-point deficit in a 107-97 victory over the Clippers Saturday night at Staples Center. The Hawks ended the game on a 25-9 run in an impressive fourth-quarter showing.
The Hawks (35-28) have won two straight and four of their past five games. They are now 2-1 on a five-game road trip that began with an overtime loss to the Warriors.
The Clippers (40-21) had a three-game win streak snapped.
Here are the key players and five observations on the game:
Three key players
Jeff Teague: The Hawks point guard was aggressive in putting up a game-high 22 points with seven assists and six rebounds.
Paul Millsap: The Hawks forward had a double-double of 20 points and season-high 18 rebounds.
Kent Bazemore: The Hawks forward had 17 points, including seven in the fourth quarter.
Five observations
1. Fourth-quarter heroics
The Hawks trailed 88-82 early in the fourth quarter after the Clippers went on a 9-0 run, with six points from Austin Rivers. The Hawks answered decisively. They went on a 19-5 run to take a 101-93 lead with 2:40 remaining. The run started with three straight 3-pointers, two from Bazemore.
2. Teague time
Jeff Teague had a strong game. The Hawks point guard had 17 points, six assists and four rebounds through three quarters and was 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Teague has seven third-quarter points as the Hawks completely erased what was a 17-point deficit and took an 80-79 lead into the final period.
3. Hack-a-Jordan Part II
The Hawks returned to the strategy of fouling Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, a 42.7 percent free-throw shooter. It began with 3:21 left in the third quarter. Jordan went to the line on five of six straight possessions (one was not a planned foul) and he went 5 of 10 during the stretch. The Clippers took him out with 1:15 left in the quarter. The Hawks employed the strategy again in the fourth quarter beginning with 5:07 remaining. Jordan went 1 of 4 until he exited with 3:48 left. For the game, Jordan was 7 of 17 from the line. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer used the strategy in the meeting between the teams in Atlanta earlier this season.
4. Hawks erase 17-point deficit
The Hawks trailed by as many as 17 points, 42-25, in the second quarter after the Clippers scored the first five points of the period. The Hawks deficit was 14 points after the Clippers’ Chris Paul converted a three-point play with 3:51 left in the quarter. The Hawks closed on a 14-5 run to trail 55-50 at intermission. During their run, the Hawks went 5 of 9 from the field and forced two of the Clippers’ five first-half turnovers. The run would continue into the third quarter. The Hawks made it a 23-7 run between the second and third quarters and took a 59-57 lead on a Jeff Teague basket.
5. Clippers’ fast start
The Clippers scored 37 first-quarter points – one night after the Hawks allowed the Lakers 36 first-half points. The Clippers shot 58.3 percent from the field, including 6 of 12 from 3-point range, and built a 14-point lead in the opening period. The Clippers also did not have a turnover to help their offensive cause. Four of the Clippers’ starters had at least eight points. The Hawks weren’t bad offensively, shooting 45.8 percent, but couldn’t keep up with the Clippers.
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