The Hawks’ dominance over the Kings came to and ended – but not without some dramatics.
The Hawks overcame a 17-point third-quarter deficit only to drop a 91-88 decision to the Kings Thursday night in the team’s final game at Sleep Train Arena. The Hawks had won 15 straight overall against the Kings and seven in a row in Sacramento. They were trying to tie the franchise record for consecutive wins over an opponent by matching the 16 in a row won against the Nets from Feb. 22, 1986 to Feb. 15, 1989.
It wasn’t to be.
The Hawks (26-18) had a three-game win streak snapped in the second of a four-game Western road trip. They play at the Suns Saturday.
The Kings (19-23) have won four straight.
Here are the key players and five observations on the game:
Three key players
DeMarcus Cousins: The Kings forward finished with game-highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds but 13 and 7 after the first quarter.
Willie Cauley-Stein: The Kings center had 12 points and 11 rebounds but it was his late defense on Paul Millsap that caused a decisive turnover.
Paul Millsap: The Hawks forward had team-highs with 14 points and 14 rebounds. He had a season-high five steals and five turnovers.
Five observations
1. Missed opportunities late
The late-game dramatics came down to the final 21.5 seconds. The Hawks’ Dennis Schroder hit a 3-pointer with 21.5 seconds remaining to tie the game at 88-88. Who would have known the Hawks trailed by as many as 17 points? It was his first make from long-range after five misses. They would be the last points the Hawks would score. After a Rajon Rondo layup on a screen gave the Kings the lead, the Hawks had the ball with 12.9 seconds left. Millsap turned the ball over. Schroder then sent Darren Collison to the free-throw line with a phantom foul and he missed one of his two attempts. The Hawks had one last chance with 1.9 seconds left and down three but could not get a shot off.
2. Don’t go to bed yet
The Hawks erased a 17-point third-quarter deficit with a strong end to the third quarter and start of the fourth quarter. They tied the game at 76-76 on an Al Horford 3-pointer and 80-80 on a Kent Bazemore jumper. Tim Hardaway Jr. played a huge part in the comeback with six straight points and was largely responsible for running the offense with Jeff Teague and Schroder on the bench. The Hawks had several chances to take the lead but Bazemore was blocked at the rim by Cousins and Schroder air-balled a 3-pointer. There was more drama to come.
3. Kings win third
The third quarter started well for the Hawks as they erased a halftime deficit and led 50-49 with 9:49 left. They would not score another point for the next 5:33. The Kings went on an 18-0 run to take a 67-50 advantage. During the Kings’ run, the Hawks were 0 for 7 from the floor with five turnovers. The game appeared over. It wasn’t.
4. Hawks win second
The Hawks trailed by as many as 10 points in the second quarter. They got back in the game with a 17-6 run, including eight straight points to start the streak. The Hawks took a brief lead, 37-36, at the end of the run on a Kent Bazemore 3-pointer. The Kings took a 47-44 lead into intermission.
5. Cousins strong early
The Kings took an early lead on the Hawks with a strong first quarter from Cousins. The forward had 11 points and eight rebounds after the first period as the Kings led by as many as nine points. The Kings’ rebounding advantage was clear early has they led the Hawks 16-6 in the category. They had as many offensive rebounds as the Hawks had total boards. The Hawks were better in the second quarter and Cousins went to intermission with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
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