Al Horford called it a must-win.
The center made it happen.
It wasn’t easy but the Hawks got a dramatic 88-87 comeback victory over the Mavericks Friday after erasing a 17-point deficit. Horford drained a jumper with 4.2 seconds remaining to complete the improbable rally.
The Hawks used a furious fourth quarter as they outscored the Mavericks 24-12. They pulled to within one point, 87-86, with a Paul Millsap straight-on 3-pointer with 1:16 remaining. After the Mavs missed twice and the Hawks once, Horford hit the game-winner.
“In my eyes it was,” said Horford, who called the game a must-win after a drubbing at the Rockets Wednesday “Think about it. The road doesn’t get any easier. Washington has been playing well. Then we have to go to San Antonio. I was already disappointed we gave up a couple home games to Boston and Orlando. I felt like we needed to win this game.”
The Hawks (9-8, 5-3 home) snapped a three-game losing streak. The win avenged a season-opening loss to the Mavericks.
Jeff Teague led the Hawks with a game-high 25 points, nine in the fourth quarter. Horford added 17 points with Millsap (15) and Lou Williams (12) the other double-digit scorers.
“Big-time players make big-time shots,” Teague said. “Paul stepped up and made a big 3. Al, that’s why the pay him the big bucks. He steps up and makes the mid-range shot that he is known for.”
The Mavericks (10-7, 2-6 road) were led by Jose Calderon, who left in the third quarter with a right ankle injury, and Dirk Nowitzki with 16 points. Nowitzki scored just three points in the fourth quarter. Monta Ellis, who scorched the Hawks for 35 points in the season-opener, had 12 points, none in the final period.
Millsap’s 3-pointer came after a Nowitzki miss and was just nine seconds into the shot clock.
“I just seen them sag off me,” Millsap said. “Jeff threw me the ball. I just felt it and shot it. Nothing spectacular. I just put it up to the basket and it went in for me.
“It was early in the shot clock too. I better have made it. It was one of those situations where if you make it, good. If you don’t, it’s going to be a long walk back to the bench.”
With the Hawks trailing by one, Millsap grabbed a rebound with 16.9 seconds remaining. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer didn’t call a timeout and Teague pushed the ball up court and found Horford for the 20-foot game-winner.
“I looked at (coach) and he said ‘Go,’” Teague said. “I said, ‘I’m going to get to the rim.’ Then Monta Ellis grabbed my arm and I just tried to sling it back to Al. When he seen him sizing him up, I knew he was going to shoot. I said I’m going to attack the offensive boards but it wasn’t needed.”
Added coach Mike Budenholzer of the final seconds: “I think there are times in a game when you feel like you want to call a timeout and draw up a play and get something. But the way we want to play and flow, with randomness, and sometimes even things that happen at end of games, things that happen randomly are better than things you can draw (up).”
The Mavericks led 53-39 at the half thanks to a 16-0 run between the first and second quarters. The Hawks led by five points before going stone cold. They missed all nine shots in a span of 6:42 at the Mavs went on the run. The 11-point advantage would grow to as many as 17 in the first half.
Both teams shot 42.5 percent (17 of 40) through the first two quarters. The difference was the Mavs 3-point and free-throw shooting. The Mavs were 7 of 13 from 3-point range, including 5 of 6 in the first quarter, as the Hawks made just 2 of 9. The Mavs were also 12 of 12 from the free-throw line as the Hawks were 3 of 6. By the end of the game, the
Hawks picked up their aggressiveness and were 23 of 30 from the free-throw line.
“Basically, we just choked,” the Mavericks Shawn Marion said of the blown lead.
The Hawks were in jeopardy of losing their fourth straight game, including three at home. At intermission, Budenholzer simply wrote ‘Compete’ on the locker room white board. Coach and several Hawks players said the defensive intensity in the second half led to the win. The Hawks had a 46-16 edge in points in the paint and 23-2 in fast-break points.
“None of us were feeling great after the last few games,” Budenholzer said. “There will be lots of ups and downs during the season. Nobody was happy with how we played. … I think we were all feeling a need to play better. Win or lose, we need a better effort out there. To come out with win, obviously, makes it better.”
The Hawks continue the run of five games in seven days Saturday at the Wizards. They play at the Spurs Monday. The schedule gets friendly as the Hawks play four straight and seven of eight at home.
About the Author
