A brief recap of the Hawks’ 18th straight win, a gut check in which Atlanta’s lesser lights shined:
How the game was won: With starting small forward DeMarre Carroll unavailable because of a strained Achilles tendon and replacement Thabo Sefolosha lasting just 2:21 before he strained a calf muscle, the Hawks had to juggle their lineup to hold off a serious challenge by the Blazers and LeMarcus Aldridge (37 points).
Kent Bazemore scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds, Mike Scott added 11 points and made all three of his 3-pointers, and John Jenkins played well in rare duty.
Paul Millsap led Atlanta with 21 points and eight rebounds, and Al Horford pitched in 17 and eight, but without the subs, the Hawks might’ve lost for the first time in more than one month.
Turning point: The Hawks trailed by five to start the fourth quarter, and Atlanta took the lead for good after Horford stole a Dorrell Wright pass and drove for a score at the other end off a pass from Kyle Korver. That gave the Hawks an 87-85 lead with 6:44 left in the game.
Number:20. The Hawks’ bench outscored Portland reserves by 20 points, 38-18.
Next: The Hawks will play host to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night to wrap up a seven-game homestand.
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