The Hawks are not just making the race for a playoff spot interesting. They are making every game an adventure along the way.
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, especially after losing to the Pistons at home the previous night.
The Hawks (35-43) increased their lead to two games over the idle Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks magic number now stands at two as each team has four games remaining in the regular season. The Hawks win also eliminated the Cavaliers from the playoff race.
The Hawks used a 19-3 run in the fourth quarter to erase the troublesome deficit.
“It just felt like this time, as opposed to last night, we knew we were going to win the game,” Paul Millsap said. “It was just us settling down and controlling what we could control and we pulled it out.
“(It’s) just a confidence. We felt like we were the better team. When you have that mindset, things are going to go your way.”
The Hawks trailed by nine points, 89-80, with 5:54 remaining. The ensuing 19-3 run included 10 straight points. Kyle Korver hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Hawks the lead for good. Millsap, Elton Brand and DeMarre Carroll added consecutive baskets to give the Hawks a 99-92 lead with 1:13 remaining. The Celtics could not recover after letting the game get away.
The Hawks’ locker room was a much more joyous place than the night before.
“Yesterday was so frustrating,” Korver said. “It was a big game too. We just couldn’t make a shot and it affected us. That was a game we wanted. To come back on the second of a back-to-back and shoot the ball really well … that was a game we needed to win.”
Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 19 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. He was one of six players, including all five starters, to score double figures.
In yet another brief postgame interview, Teague would only say his fourth-quarter shots were “lucky.” Korver, (17 points), Millsap (14), Carroll (13), Brand (13) and Mike Scott (13) finished in double digits.
Millsap and Brand had double-doubles with 14 and 13 rebounds, respectively. It is the sixth straight game with a double-double for Millsap, who is averaging 20.7 points and 12.6 rebounds.
“We just wanted to win, wanted to get to the playoffs,” Brand said of the comeback. “These guys have been resilient team and the guys stepped up and made some big shots and weren’t afraid of the moment.”
The Celtics (23-55) lost their eight straight and 14 of their past 15 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.
“It was good, not like yesterday,” Carroll said of the postgame locker room mood. “We were on a back-to-back and they had us down and we showed our true character to come out and fight and do the little things to pick up the win. We can’t stop here.”
The Hawks play at the Nets Friday and host the Heat Saturday.
About the Author
