The Hawks are not just making the race for a playoff spot interesting. They are making every game along the way an adventure.
The Hawks erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit – after leading by as many as 14 points in the first half – for a dramatic 105-97 victory over the Celtics Wednesday night at Philips Arena. The win was critical in the Hawks’ efforts to clinch a postseason berth.
The Hawks (35-43) increased the lead to two games over the idle Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Each team has four games remaining in the regular season.
The Hawks trailed by nine points, 89-80, midway through the fourth quarter. They went on a 19-3 run, including 10 straight points, and took the lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from Kyle Korver. Paul Millsap, Elton Brand and DeMarre Carroll added consecutive baskets to give the Hawks a 99-92 lead with 1:13 remaining.
Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 19 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. Six players, including all five starters, scored in double figures. Korver, (17 points), Millsap (14 points), Carroll (13), Brand (13) and Mike Scott (13) finished in double digits.
The Hawks evened their season series with the Celtics, 2-2. The Hawks win also eliminated the Cavaliers from the playoff race.
The Celtics (23-55) lost their eight straight and 14 of their past 14 games. Avery Bradley led the Celtics with a game-high 24 points.
The Celtics erased a 14-point deficit with a 21-7 run between the second and third quarters. The run included five straight points to start the third quarter to tie the game at 56-56. The Celtics ended the period on a 16-4 run to take a 77-70 advantage into the final quarter. Jeff Green punctuated the run with back-to-back 3-pointers, each as the shot clock expired. The Hawks were held to just 14 third-quarter points.
The Hawks jumped out to an early double-digit lead. They led by 10 points, 12-2, just four minutes into the game. The lead grew to 14 points as the Hawks ended the first quarter shooting 78 percent (14 of 18) from the field.
The Hawks held on to the 14-point advantage until the Celtics ended the second quarter on a 16-7 run. The Hawks led 56-51 at the half after the Celtics rally. The Hawks got points from all nine players who saw first-half action.
The Hawks play at the Nets Friday and host the Heat Saturday.
