In their 116-93 win over the Thunder (17-24) Thursday at State Farm Arena, the Hawks (21-20) dominated from start to finish.
Next up, the Hawks embark on an eight-game road trip out West, beginning with Saturday’s game vs. the Lakers.
Below are some takeaways from the win:
1. The Hawks have won seven times in a row for the first time since their seven-game win streak from Dec. 28, 2016-Jan. 10, 2017. They own the the longest active win streak in the NBA (they were tied with Brooklyn at six, but the Nets didn’t play Thursday).
2. This was the complete opposite of the Hawks’ 118-109 loss to the Thunder Feb. 26, when their defense was nowhere to be found and they quickly fell into a hole too large to climb out of. This time around, the first half was a blowout, with the Hawks jumping out to a 25-8 lead in the first quarter and leading 61-41 at halftime. They simply dominated, with a 26-point lead going into the fourth quarter. The Hawks shot 54% from the floor to the Thunder’s 36.6%, kept Oklahoma City off-kilter all night and won the rebounding battle, 60-43. “Really, it didn’t matter who came into the game, those guys were locked into what we needed to do, what we didn’t do in the last game, and were able to pretty much control the game throughout,” interim coach Nate McMillan said.
3. In his seventh game back from injury, Bogdan Bogdanovic looked much sharper, adding a season-high 23 points, to go with six rebounds and three assists. He went 5-for-9 from 3-point range (55.6%) and seemed to find more of a shooting rhythm. In January and February, Bogdanovic missed 25 games with an avulsion fracture in his right knee.
4. In addition to Bogdanovic, Trae Young and John Collins paved the way on offense, from the first quarter when Young lobbed the ball off the glass on a breakaway, setting up a dunk for Collins. Young had 23 points, nine assists and six rebounds in just 25 minutes of play, with Collins adding 19 points and three blocks in 30 minutes.
5. This was the last home game for the Hawks until April 4, as they depart for an eight-game road trip against the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Warriors, Nuggets, Suns, Spurs and Pelicans. This will be a crucial stretch and tough test for the Hawks, as they face several Western Conference opponents that are likely playoff-bound.
Stat of the game
7 (this win gives the Hawks the longest active win streak in the NBA at seven)
Star of the game
Bogdan Bogdanovic (made some key shots, had a season-high 23 points and is finding a rhythm after coming back from injury)
Quotable
“I really think it’s been our belief. We believe we can win.” (John Collins on how the Hawks have sustained this win streak)
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