The losses are piling up at an alarming rate.
The Hawks’ epic struggle has lasted more than a month. And now, those defeats are turning into blow outs.
The Hawks fell behind by 20 points in the fourth quarter en route to a 111-97 loss to the Warriors Friday night at Oracle Arena. The defeat came two nights after a 24-point loss to the Trail Blazers.
“The mental effort is something we have to be aware of and conscious of,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We slipped up mentally. And that is the challenge in any sport is can you stay mentally focused, mentally tough, for 48 minutes in the NBA.”
The Hawks had two costly droughts against the Warriors. A close game got away in the second quarter when the Warriors ended the first half on a 12-1 run to take a 14-point lead.
The Hawks fought back in the third quarter to cut the deficit to four points. However, they were outscored 15-0 between the third and fourth quarters and trailed by 20 points.
The Hawks (26-34, 9-23 road) have lost five straight games and 13 of 14 overall. They have one just once since Feb. 2. It also was the ninth straight road loss for the Hawks, now 1-11 at Western Conference opponents. They last won away from home on Jan. 31 against the 76ers.
“I don’t know man,” Jeff Teague said of the Hawks’ troubles. “We just can’t score right now. When we need to we go on big droughts. …
“It’s definitely frustrating. I’ve never lost like this in my life. Ever since I’ve been in Atlanta I’ve never been on a streak or a drought like this. It’s tough.”
The Hawks failed to score for the first 6:53 of the fourth quarter and the Warriors took full advantage of the failure. The Hawks missed their first eight shots of the period and by the time they finally scored they trailed 97-77.
It was the Hawks’ fifth straight loss to the Warriors, who swept the season series for the second straight year.
Paul Millsap returned after missing the past five games with a right knee injury and led the Hawks with 16 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott added 14 points and Pero Antic added 10 points.
With 22 games remaining in the regular season, the free-falling Hawks still cling to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They kept a three-game lead over the Pistons.
The Warriors (39-24, 19-10 home) were led by David Lee with18 points. Jermaine O’Neal added 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Stephen Curry, who entered the game seventh in the NBA in scoring at 23.8 points per game, had 13 points.
“It’s very frustrating but we are a mentally strong team,” Millsap said. “We have to be a mentally strong team right now. We have our backs against the wall. We have to figure out a way to win games. It’s as simple as that.”
The Hawks cut into a 14-point halftime deficit in the third quarter. They pulled to within four points, 74-70, on a basket by Antic. The Warriors took an 85-77 lead into the final quarter.
“I think a few of them were good looks,” Budenholzer said of the Hawks’ fourth quarter drought. “They just didn’t go down. That is a big part of offenses, sometimes the orange ball has to go through the round hole. They played some good defense. They are a good defensive team. I don’t think they get enough credit for what they do defensively. We turned it over a few times. That stretch was the other stretch that hurt us.”
The Warriors grabbed a 66-52 lead into intermission after ending the second quarter on a 12-1 run. For the period, the Warriors outscored the Hawks 34-21 as they shot 62 percent. The Hawks shot just 35 percent.
Over the final 3:38 on the quarter, after a Jeff Teague 3-pointer made it 54-51, the Hawks missed their final six field goal attempts and had a turnover.
The Warriors lost starting guard Klay Thompson to a lower back strain in the first quarter. He did not return.
The Hawks five-game western trip continues Saturday against the Clippers. The finale is Monday against the Jazz.
About the Author
