Held to 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Hawks (13-13) fell to the Nets, 113-105, Friday at State Farm Arena.
Next up, the Hawks will host the Rockets Monday.
Below are some takeaways from the loss:
1. Scoring just four points in the first 7:12 of the fourth quarter, the Hawks fell into a 103-95 hole as their shooting went cold, and this one ultimately came down to late-game execution. Five straight points from Trae Young got the Hawks back in it, but then James Harden stripped the ball from Young and finished with a layup, the Hawks couldn’t finish an easy setup by Young on the other end, Nic Claxton stole the ball from Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Kevin Durant finished it off. The huge swing resulted in a 107-102 Nets lead with 2:14 to play, and the Hawks couldn’t recover from that sequence. They registered six turnovers in the fourth (15 overall) and were outscored 24-14 in the final period, negating the two-point lead they entered with. The Nets’ (13-13) switching defense gave the Hawks trouble, coach Nate McMillan said, forcing them into an isolation game.
“I thought we were doing a good job the first three quarters of attacking their switches, but then the fourth quarter, we just started to stand. I thought we settled in that fourth quarter, really the second half, against their switches,” McMillan said. “That’s something we have to do a better job playing against. We’re going to see that. The better teams can switch 1-5 and force you into isolation basketball. What you have to do in that situation is see where your mismatch is at, get the ball to that player, whether it’s in the post or on the perimeter, and then you have to win your matchup.”
2. Young became the first player in Hawks history to record five straight 25-plus point, 10-plus assist double-doubles, with 31 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and two steals (he’s also the first in the league to do so since Russell Westbrook from March 26 to April 2 of 2017). But, Young struggled with turnovers, registering seven overall and two in the fourth. He scored six of the Hawks’ 14 points in the fourth, but took ownership for turnovers and not scoring more when they needed it most.
“I’ve got to do a better job of making some shots for us in the fourth. ... I’ve got to be better taking care of the ball,” Young said. “I’ll be better at doing that. Trying to force some passes into tight creases I could have been smarter about. And I’ll be better at. I won’t have that many turnovers.”
3. At 28.4 points per game entering Friday’s contest, Durant leads the league in scoring, and he looked the part leading the Nets with 31 points, plus six assists, five rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal. He added eight points in the fourth to help season the win. Harden added 20 points and 11 assists for a double-double. Overall, the Nets shot 49.5% from the field to the Hawks’ 39.4%.
4. Out since Nov. 27 with a left wrist sprain (as well as a stomach bug), Cam Reddish was back available to play for the Hawks Friday. He came off the bench to add four points and two assists in 17 minutes of play, with a smart kick-out to Danilo Gallinari (13 points, six rebounds) to give the Hawks a 91-89 lead entering the fourth quarter. Depleted on the wing with De’Andre Hunter (right wrist tendon surgery), Bogdan Bogdanovic (right ankle sprain) and Solomon Hill (right hamstring tear) out, getting Reddish back in the rotation is huge for the Hawks, even if his shot wasn’t falling Friday night. Plus, he brings length and intensity on defense, something they’re sorely missing.
5. Kevin Huerter led the Hawks with five 3-pointers, adding 19 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals (like Young, though, he struggled with turnovers, adding four). Huerter is now shooting 55.9% (19-for-34) from 3-point range over his past five games.
Stat of the game: 14 (number of points the Hawks were limited to in the fourth quarter)
Star of the game: Durant (led the Nets in scoring with 31 points, adding three blocks)
Quotable: “It just can’t happen. ... When we’re trying to win games and we’re giving KD and James Harden extra possessions on the other end, we’ve got to do better. It’s simple.” (John Collins, who had 20 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, on the Hawks’ turnovers in big moments)
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