The road is hardly a friendly place for any NBA team, but when you’re burdened with the league’s worst record, it can be absolutely nightmarish.
The Hawks went into their game Monday against a heavily injured Clippers team as owners of a 3-18 road record. And then fell by 15 in the second quarter.
They battled back and led by as many as seven in the fourth quarter only to suffer yet one more heartbreak, falling 108-107 when an unheralded rookie drained a 3-pointer with nine seconds to play.
The Hawks are 0-4 on the current five-game road trip that ends in Denver on Wednesday.
Guard Kent Bazemore, who’d had a very quiet game until the finish, scored six consecutive points in the final 3½ minutes for the Hawks to turn a 99-99 game into a 105-100 advantage.
After missing a pair of drives, Bazemore – who started the night 2 for 9 from the field – hit a pair free throws with 23.2 seconds left to break a 106-106 tie.
The Clippers went to Lou Williams, who had a game-high 34 points, but he missed his jumper. It was rebounded by rookie C.J. Williams.
He calmly drained a 3-pointer for the winner. Taurean Prince missed a 15-footer and the Hawks had lost their 19th road game.
The Clippers played without four starters – including All-Star Blake Griffin – and prime reserve Austin Rivers. And still led for most of the night.
The second quarter that had proved so devastating a night earlier was no dear friend Monday, tough neither did it bring the Hawks to their knees. It just threatened to for a time.
There was none of that fastbreak craziness that had sent the Hawks reeling like it had against the Lakers on Sunday. They were able to play the Clippers in a more preferred halfcourt game.
Still, the Hawks were having trouble shooting – they shot 38.3 percent in the first half – and at one point in the second quarter fell behind by as many as 15 points.
But the Hawks collected themselves enough to trail 58-47 at the half and then made a run in the third quarter. They were down 80-77 at the end of the third, and then sparked by Mike Muscala and Prince, went on a 13-2 run to take their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter.
DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers’ only healthy starter, finished with 25 points and 18 rebounds.
Prince led Atlanta with 20 points. Dennis Schroeder added 18 points. Bazemore finished with 13.
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