Turnovers kill.
They sure did in the Hawks Saturday night.
The Hawks committed 21 turnovers, including 10 in a decisive third quarter, in a 79-76 loss to the Grizzlies at Philips Arena. The Hawks rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and got as close as three points when Paul Millsap hit a 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining.
The Hawks got the rebound of a Grizzlies miss on the ensuing possession with 15 seconds left. They did not immediately call a timeout and a Lou Williams deep 3-point attempt as time expired missed.
The Hawks (25-24, 16-9 home) have lost three straight and dropped both games of the season series with the Grizzlies.
Millsap led the Hawks with 20 points and 11 rebounds. It was the fourth straight game with a double-double for the All-Star. DeMarre Carroll added 16 points. Kyle Korver has extended his NBA-record streak to 118 games with a 3-pointer.
The Grizzlies (27-22, 14-8 road) were led by Zach Randolph with 20 points.
The Grizzlies took a 61-54 lead into the final quarter. They ended the period on a 17-5 run that including three straight 3-pointers. Mike Miller had two of them, including the final at the buzzer. It gave the Grizzlies their largest lead of the game to that point.
The Grizzlies were 1 of 1 from the free-throw line. No NBA team has ever shot one or fewer free throws in a game since in the shot-clock era. Their one free throw was a technical following a defensive three-second violation.
The Hawks led 43-37 after the team’s combined for 24 second-quarter points. The Grizzles were especially poor as they shot 22 percent (5 of 23) in the quarter. It tied a season-low for points in a quarter allowed by the Hawks. The Hawks shot just 32 percent (7 of 22) in the period. There was a 3:53 stretch of the quarter where only two points were scored.
The Hawks led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter on the strength of a 19-6 run. The Grizzlies answered with a 19-3 run to end the first and start the second quarter to take their first lead of the game, 31-29. They would score just six more points in the period.
The Grizzlies big men of Randolph and Marc Gasol were a concern for the Hawks.
“Gasol and Randolph work so well together so it makes it even more difficult to guard them,” coach Mike Budneholzer said before the game. “They are so good in the paint. You say you want to take away the paint and the game is over and they have a bunch of points in the paint. Gasol’s passing is what makes them different with them. He is one of the best passing bigs in our league. It just really adds to their offensive versatility. Things you try to take away, he’s very clever and smart and figures out how to get the ball into small spaces. He is a big difference maker.”
The Grizzlies held a 50-34 advantage in points in the paint.
The Hawks are off until Tuesday when they begin a road back-to-back at the Bulls and Raptors before the All-Star break.
About the Author
