A recap of the Hawks’ 96-86 loss to the Raptors on Wednesday:
Noteworthy
* Jeff Teague had 44th career points/assists double-double (11 points, 10 assists) and moved past Lenny Wilkens for third in franchise history.
* Neither the Hawks’ 20 points in both the third and fourth quarters nor the 40 points in the second half were season lows for any quarter or half.
* The Hawks’ 86 points and .367 shooting percentage were both season lows.
* The Hawks shot .326 percent (14 of 43) in the second half.
* The Hawks were outrebounded 50-42 for the game and 29-18 in the second half.
* Raptors guard Kyle Lowry left in the second quarter with flu-like symptoms. He would return and light up the Hawks in the fourth quarter. His 22 points in the quarter were a Raptors franchise record for any quarter.
* Lowry (22) outscored the Hawks (20) in the fourth quarter.
* Former Hawks player DeMarre Carroll was asked about the team’s new uniforms. “To each his own. To each his own, man. I don’t want to look like an action figure,” he said.
Key stat
39-20
The fourth-quarter scoring totals. It was written on the Hawks locker room board. It was nearly all of Mike Budenholzer’s entire opening statement following the game. It was mentioned by more than one player in post-game interviews. It was the reason the Hawks lost.
Quote of the game
“It is inconsistent. We are supposed to be the total opposite of this. Right now is a little disappointing. We’ll figure it out. This is some adversity we are facing as a team.” – Al Horford on the fact the Hawks haven’t won back-to-back games since Nov. 7.
Report card
Offense: D-minus
The Hawks scored just 40 second-half points, one more than the Raptors scored in the fourth quarter. They shot a season-low 36.7 percent from the field. They had a brilliant execution of ball movement in the second quarter that resulted in a Kent Bazemore 3-pointer. It was just a glimpse. The ball did not move for large portions of the game.
Defense: D-plus
Credit the Hawks for holding the Raptors to 32 first-half points. However, they couldn’t hold a 17-point second quarter lead. They were outscored 39-20 in the fourth quarter. They allowed Kyle Lowry to score 22 fourth-quarter points, including a run of 12 straight. They lost a game they clearly had in control.
