Five observations from the Hawks’ 100-97 loss to the Bucks Friday.
1. Winning plays. The Hawks cost themselves down the stretch against the Bucks by failing to execute in key situations. Dennis Schroder got called for a charge with 2:01 remaining and the Hawks up 92-90. Dwight Howard mad a bad pass that was stolen by Giannis Antetokounmpo with 52 seconds left and the score tied 94-94. Howard missed the first of two free throws with 10.3 seconds left and the Hawks trailing 96-94. Ersan Ilyasova couldn't get off a clean 3-pointer in the Hawks' last attempt.
“The charge is a big call,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “The outlet when we have the ball. We have the rebound and we don’t keep it. Those are the two that stand out. If you score and eat some clock in one case it’s going to give us a much better chance.”
2. The Hawks made a defensive switch to put Thabo Sefolosha on Antetokounmpo more in the second half. The Bucks star had just four of his 34 points in the fourth quarter. Ilyasova drew much of the assignment and the Hawks also tried Mike Muscala in the first quarter. Antetokounmpo had 17 first-quarter points as the Bucks built a double-digit lead the Hawks would eventually erase.
“Try to make him take tough shots and not let him get close to the paint,” Sefolosha said. “He was on fire, especially in the first half. He was making shots. There wasn’t a whole lot we could have down differently on him or on defense period.”
3. The Hawks insist they are looking at the positives despite six straight losses. They have lost the past two games – at the Wizards and Bucks – by a combined seven points. This without starters Paul Millsap and Kent Bazemore.
“There is frustration,” Tim Hardaway Jr. said. “You have to look at the positives. You can’t look at the negatives. We’ve been playing really good basketball these last two games even though we lost. You have to look at the positives. Look at the standings. We are still in the playoffs. We have to get that positive spark going to take us into the playoffs.”
4. About those playoffs. The Hawks are now tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with the Bucks. They hold the head-to-head tiebreaker based on a 3-1 season record. However the Hawks have lost six straight. The Bucks have won three straight and 11 of 13 games. Two teams. Two directions.
The Hawks lead the seventh-place Pacers by one game and the eighth-place Heat by two games.
“We are on the right path,” Ilyasova said. “We are going through a losing streak right now but it’s up to us to come together because we have to decide if we want to be in the playoffs and be a part of it. There are 10 games left. There are no more excuses. We have to come out stronger.”
5. Most of the Hawks' scoring came from three players. Schroder (28), Hardaway (25) and Howard (20) accounted for 73 of the Hawks' 97 points. The Hawks got 12 points combined from starters Sefolosha and Ilyasova and 12 points from the bench.
This is where the Hawks are being hurt by a lack of depth with two starters out.
“There were some positives,” Budenholzer said. “Learning how to play without Paul and Baze. Executing down the stretch a couple of the plays we made were good. And then a couple we need to make. Whether it’s a defensive rebound, a better decision. Those plays add up to winning. We’ve just got to make a few more of those winning plays. I think the group from Wednesday night to tonight we are getting better. That is the only way we are going to break through.”
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