Actions speak louder than words.
The Hawks spoke volumes on Monday – even in a loss.
After a recent players-only meeting provided little immediate results, the Hawks responded by pushing the Warriors for four quarters in a 105-100 defeat Monday night at the always-loud Oracle Arena.
The Hawks lost their third straight and for the sixth time in seven games. However, they played much better than they have during the entire stretch. The offense scored 100 points for the first time in seven games.
“If they want to talk and hammer some things out, it’s usually a good thing,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game of the meeting. “There comes a point where you have to do it on the court. Just going out and playing basketball becomes more important than anything. Guys talking and sharing, usually it’s how can we get better. As long as that’s the mindset, things like that are good.”
The Warriors used an 11-0 run between the third and fourth quarters to get the victory. Ian Clark hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the third quarter. The Warriors then scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to lead for the first time since midway through the second quarter. The Warriors led by as many as seven points in the final minutes before the Hawks closed to within three points, 102-99, with 1:28 remaining. They also trailed by four points, 104-100, with 14 seconds left and the ball but could get not closer.
The Hawks (10-8) were led by Dennis Schroder with 24 points. Dwight Howard (14 points, 16 rebounds) and Paul Millsap (14 points and 14 rebounds) had double-doubles.
The Warriors (16-2) won for the 12th straight time. They were led by their All-Star trio of Kevin Durant (25 points, 14 rebounds), Stephen Curry (25 points) and Klay Thompson (20 points). The Warriors have scored 100 or more points in 17 of their 18 games. They entered the game averaging an NBA-best 118.4 points per game. The Hawks countered with a league best 97.3 defensive rating.
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