After vowing to make good following their embarrassing 34-point loss Tuesday, the Hawks did not deliver.
Ex-Hawk Stephen Jackson's buzzer-beating jump shot was the final sequence of the Hawks' unnecessary 88-86 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night at Philips Arena. Following their lethargic 117-83 loss to Philadelphia, the second consecutive home defeat broke the team's seven-game home winning streak against Charlotte and amplified questions about the team's qualifications to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
After taking leads of 22 points in the first half and 18 midway through the third quarter, the Hawks (33-18) collapsed in the closing stretch. They permitted a 14-0 third-quarter run by Charlotte (23-31) and opened the fourth quarter by making one of their first 17 shots.
Said forward Josh Smith, "You can't give up a lead that big at home."
The loss was a disquieting bookend to the team's loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday -- its second home loss this season by 30 or more points -- that prompted forward Marvin Williams to note that "good teams don't lose by 30-plus at home."
On a deadline day for season-ticket renewal -- season-ticket holders were wooed at a pregame meeting with the ownership group and throughout the game in public-address announcements -- the game was something less than a convincing sales pitch.
Playing before an announced crowd of 16,948, the Hawks moved the ball patiently and got shots at the basket in the first half. Half of their 52 first-half points were scored in the paint. The offensive efficiency and tight defense sprang the Hawks for an 18-0 second-quarter run and a 51-29 lead with 2:57 to play in the half. Such was the Hawks' fortune that 6-foot-2 guard Mike Bibby climbed the ladder to score on a tip-in. However, a defensive lapse tightened their lead to 13 at halftime.
In the locker room, Drew implored the team to knock out the Bobcats by avoiding "home runs" (quick 3-pointers) and sticking with "singles" (high-percentage shots produced by running the offense). The Hawks swung for the fences.
Bibby made three consecutive 3-pointers that helped extend the lead to 18, and soon the well ran dry. After the Hawks took a 70-52 lead with 6:14 to play in the third quarter, they took 33 shots the rest of the game. Of the 17 that were taken from 17 feet or farther, the Hawks made one.
After scoring 26 points in the paint in the first half, they scored eight in the second.
Drew said he has been harping on the team since becoming coach last summer "when we don't get what we want a few trips down the floor, we have to slow it down and we have to get the shot we want. Certainly at that point, it's not taking another three. Our guys, they have not grasped that concept yet.
"They still try to play fast, and they just take the first opportunity that's given to them. They just can't do that."
Wasted in the defeat was a strong game by Smith (28 points on 17 shots) and a game effort by center Al Horford, who returned from a two-game absence after injuring his back Feb. 4. Horford played 42 minutes, showing little effect of the injury and scoring 16 points.
The Hawks will be on the road for the next seven games, a stretch split up by the All-Star break that includes visits with the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland and Denver.
After going 4-4 in their past eight home games, the Hawks hope the road will be a refuge.
Said Smith of his team's struggles at home, "We've got to find a way out."
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