The Hawks spotted the Timberwolves a 34-point lead.
And so began nearly one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history.
The Hawks completely erased the huge deficit by the fourth quarter and took a brief lead but the Timberwolves scored the final 10 point of the game for a 117-107 victory Monday night at Philips Arena.
The Hawks (7-2) had their seven-game win streak snapped. It was their first loss to the Timberwolves at home after 12 straight wins.
The Timberwolves (4-2) have won all four games on the road this season.
Here are five observations of the Hawks victory.
Three key players
Andrew Wiggins: The Timberwolves young star finished with a game-high 33 points, including eight of the last 10 points.
Jeff Teague: The Hawks guard had 24 points, including 14 in the third quarter.
Paul Millsap: The Hawks forward finished 22 points including five straight points in the fourth quarter that gave the team a brief lead.
Five observations
So close
The Hawks nearly completed what would have been the third largest comeback in NBA history after trailing by 34 points. The Jazz overcame a 36-point deficit to defeat the Nuggets on Nov. 27, 1996. They trailed 70-34 with 20 seconds remaining in the first half and won 107-103. The Kings overcame a 35-point deficit to defeat the Bulls on Dec. 21, 2009.
Fourth-quarter flurry
The Hawks completed the remarkable comeback when Paul Millsap completed a 3-point play with 4:23 left for tie the game at 105-105. He scored on the Hawks ensuing possession to give the Hawks their first lead of the game, 107-106, with 3:25 remaining. It wouldn’t last.
Inspired third quarter
The Hawks scored 42 third-quarter points to get back into a game that appeared a blowout. They closed the period on a 32-8 run. Jeff Teague powered the comeback with 14 points. What was a 32-point T’Wolves advantage shrunk to nine, 93-84, by the end of the quarter and a once-quiet Philips Arena was erupting with chants of ‘Defense, Defense.’ The Hawks shot 72 percent (18 of 25) and forced 10 turnovers in the period.
Dreadful half
The Hawks started slow – like missing eight of their first nine shots and committing three turnovers. The Timberwolves led 30-19 after one quarter. Then it got worse. Way worse. The Timberwolves outscored the Hawks 42-23 in the second quarter by shooting 68 percent. At one point late in the period, the T’Wolves led by 32 points. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was so angry he called two timeouts within 30 seconds and screamed about the team’s pick-and-roll coverage. The Hawks allowed 72 first-half points after giving up less than 100 points in four of the games in their seven-game win streak.
Promising future
The Timberwolves are much improved – and they are only going to get better. With young players like Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns the future is very bright. Wiggins is a perennial All-Star in the making.
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