CHARLOTTE — Earning their fourth-straight win, the Hawks (21-25) stomped the Hornets, 113-91, Sunday at Spectrum Center.
Next up, the Hawks begin a five-game homestand when they host the Kings Wednesday.
Below are some takeaways from the win:
1. A 6-16 stretch from Nov. 27 to Jan. 15 buried the Hawks deep in the Eastern Conference standings at No. 12, but they’ve now won four straight games against tough opponents (Milwaukee, No. 4 in the East, Minnesota, No. 8 in the West, Miami, No. 2 in the East and Charlotte, No. 7 in the East) and are trending in the right direction.
2. This matchup featured two of the NBA’s most prolific offenses and worst defenses, but the Hornets actually didn’t make their first 3-pointer of the night until P.J. Washington’s triple at the 5:38 mark of the third quarter. The Hawks entered Sunday’s game with the No. 2 offensive rating (113.2), No. 2 3-point percentage (37.5%) and No. 28 defensive rating (114.0), and the Hornets entered with the No. 3 offensive rating (112.4), the No. 4 3-point percentage (37.3%) and the No. 25 defensive rating (112.0). But, Charlotte shot 0-for-17 from 3-point range in the first half, helping Atlanta establish a 55-44 lead at halftime, reaching 0-for-19 before a make. Ultimately, the Hornets shot 11.1% from 3-point range (4-36), to the Hawks’ 38.5% (15-39), as their offense flopped to a season-low 91 points.
3. Even after the Hornets finally got some 3-point shots to fall, the Hawks took a 19-point lead into the fourth quarter and finished well, the lead never falling beneath 16 points. The Hawks did a good job of closing out on shooters, never let the Hornets get hot and overall have shown improved effort and urgency on defense on this four-game win streak.
“We just continue to get better,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “The key tonight was to control the ball, keep the ball in front of us. We mixed in some zone (defense). This is a tough team to guard, and they were still able to get out in transition and get fast-break points, but for the most part, I thought we did a good job of keeping the ball in front and closing out hard with urgency tonight on 3-point shooters.”
4. On a much different 3-point shooting note, Trae Young tied a career-high with eight made 3′s (8-15), finishing with a game-high 30 points, four assists, four rebounds and one steal.
Credit: File Photo
Credit: File Photo
5. De’Andre Hunter (20 points, three steals) had to leave the game after taking a hard fall on his back with a little more than four minutes to go in the fourth quarter (officials charged Kelly Oubre with a flagrant-2 and ejected him for the play). Hunter took a while to stand up and stayed in the game for about two minutes before he needed a sub, McMillan said, and was wrapped up in ice after the game. Hunter was up and moving around afterward and said he’s sore, but that it’s “nothing too serious.” That’s great news for the Hawks, as Hunter has excelled on both ends of the floor since returning from injury.
Stat of the game: 11.1% (what the Hornets shot from 3-point range, struggling mightily from beyond the arc)
Star of the game: Young (finished with a game-high 30 points, tying his career-high with eight made 3′s)
Quotable: “Obviously, we’re winning more, so we’re definitely headed in the right direction, but it’s more about consistency and that’s all I want, to keep it going and not feel satisfied.” (Young on if the Hawks’ recent success has them inching closer to where they want to be)
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