In past seasons, this would be the kind of loss that would leave the local pro basketball team of dysfunction brooding, whining and dragging their we-blew-it hangover through one day and the next, probably even past tipoff of the following game.
The Hawks had a game won Saturday. They possibly, illogically, had a playoff series won. But they fizzled. They led the Indiana Pacers by 10 points in the third quarter. They led by five with just over four minutes left. But from that point on, they missed three shots and committed four turnovers.
Teams that win games in part because they seldom do dumb things and they maximize their talent just can’t survive that.
“We had the game won, and we let it slip away,” guard Jeff Teague said.
No argument. The Hawks lost to Indiana 91-88 on Saturday at Philips Arena, leaving their playoff series even at two wins each.
One team will win Game 5 on Monday in Indianapolis. The other will face elimination Thursday in Atlanta.
In seasons past, this would be the popular time to forecast the Hawks’ end, but this year seems different. This team has split four games on the Pacers’ home court in the playoffs and the regular season. It has overcome shortcomings and injuries and doubts.
There’s no shattered confidence, no finger-pointing in the locker room, no why-is-everybody-blaming me looks from Josh Smith or Joe Johnson.
There’s just a bunch of players who are beating themselves up a little for losing Saturday, even if guard Kyle Korver, after sitting in front of his locker shaking his head in disgust, moments later emerged for a news conference and said, “There’s no reason to beat ourselves up too much. We have to get ready for Game 5.”
It’s usually easy to tell when a team has a false confidence. That’s not the case here. It certainly doesn’t guarantee the Hawks are going to win this series or even stretch it to seven games. But what about a three-point loss in a winnable game with a second half that saw the Hawks shoot 28.2 percent and commit nine turnovers says that this team is about to fold?
“This is a good matchup for us, and we know when we come out and play the way we can play, this can be our series,” DeMarre Carroll said. “This is just another test for us with adversity. We’re just making it interesting. We have a lot of fighters on this team. We have a lot of guys who love this atmosphere. We just have to get ready for the next game and bring the intensity.”
Also, fewer thumbs and better aim.
The Hawks led 54-44 in the third quarter, but lost their best player, Paul Millsap (29 points), when he picked up his third and fourth fouls in a seven-second span with 9:42 left. (Millsap later: “I definitely affected the momentum of the game. … My fault. Stupid. Crazy.”)
The Pacers went on a 12-0 run to take the lead, but the Hawks were up 59-56 when coach Mike Budenholzer took a risk by putting Millsap back in the game with 3:45 left in the third. Millsap didn’t draw another foul the rest of the game, but it might’ve affected him on defense.
Meanwhile, the Pacers rediscovered their heartbeat. Credit forward David West. Paul George led Indy with 24 points, but it was West who seemed to give this team the cold slap it needed. He screamed at teammates on the floor. He yelled at the bench. He implored the Pacers to give effort — what a concept! — which hasn’t been a problem for the team that took an improbable 2-1 series lead.
It worked.
“That was the best game they played the whole series,” Korver said.
It showed on defense. The Hawks missed a number of open shots, but there were several possessions when there was an Indy defender in his face.
Consecutive turnovers by Teague, each followed by 3-point shots by George and West, enabled the Pacers to take an 89-85 lead with 1:33 left. All the Hawks made from that point were free throws.
Millsap threw a pass out of bounds with 32 seconds left, then he missed a three-footer in the lane with nine seconds remaining.
Trailing 91-88, the Hawks were given one final chance when George missed two free throws with seven seconds left. The Hawks called time out and drew a play for Korver to take the 3-point attempt. But he was smothered by George Hill, and West was all over Millsap. So Millsap passed to Pero Antic, who missed a rushed attempt outside the arc with one second left. That was the game.
So it’s 2-2 instead of 3-1. What changes?
“Nothing. We’re still a confident team,” Carroll said.
And then there was this from Teague: “Go win. We beat them there before. We’ll beat them again.”
Doesn’t sound like a team that’s about to crack.
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