Atlanta Hawks bounce back with 105-96 win over Washington Wizards
With the winning streak over, the Atlanta Hawks would re-focus on the big picture in their 50th game of the season, as they took on the 31-18 Washington Wizards. The Hawks would not disappoint the fan base Wednesday night, as they shut down Washington with a 105-96 victory.
Washington came out strong from the tip on offense. Wizards big man Nene Hilario was strong down low, cashing in 6 points. Atlanta found out early that the Wizards would be difficult to score on as they only shot 38% from the floor in the first quarter. Jeff Teague led the way with 9 points along with Paul Millsap chipping in with 4 of his own. But with good ball movement and draining 6 three-pointers, the Hawks would extend their lead 29-18 at the end of the first.
Washington point guard John Wall would prove hard to contain in the second quarter as he would up his point total to 14. Nene would add 6 more to take him to 12 points for the half. But the Hawks would stay aggressive on defense and hold their lead. Al Horford would dominate the quarter with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Teague would lead the way with 17 points in the half. While Atlanta started the game with only 2 points in the paint, they would add 18 more in the second. They would also shoot 80% at the line making it a 59-46 game going into halftime.
The fans at Philips Arena would be reminded early in the third quarter that the Wizards are no chumps. After all, they have won 31 games respectively this season. And an early 14-7 run proved they were capable of bouncing back. The Hawks would stay focused, and continue to out rebound Washington and capitalize on those opportunities. However, John Wall would continue to be a thorn in the Hawks’ side by effectively dishing and shooting his way to pull the Wizards within 3 points as the third quarter buzzer sounded.
Resiliency would characterize the Hawks 4th quarter. Four of the starting five, plus Dennis Schroder off the bench, would reach double digits in the scoring column. Capitalizing on steals and boards, the Hawks would, yet again, extend their lead and close down the Wizards comeback. It was Jeff Teague’s night as he finished with 26 points and 8 assists.
Atlanta will host the best team in the west, the Golden State Warriors on Friday night in front of an anticipated packed house at Philips Arena. The two best records in the NBA will come toe-to-toe to see who gets bragging rights when playoff time rolls around. Stay tuned