Atlanta Hawks soar over Indiana Pacers in 14th straight win

The Atlanta Hawks simply don’t lose anymore.  They faced off against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night in front 15,000 Atlanta fans and they didn’t disappoint. The Hawks cruised passed the Pacers 110-91, and in the process, tied a franchise record with their 14th straight win.

The Hawks led by 11 at half and it felt like it should’ve been more. Every Hawks player got on the score sheet in the first half and Coach Bud couldn’t have asked for a more balance spread, as five players had at least 6 points, but no one had more than 8 (Horford).

And it still didn’t feel like enough.

Atlanta shot only 47% in the first half, but they were able to shut down Indiana and forced 8 turnovers which allowed them to keep the lead to double digits. Whatever the coaching staff said in the locker room worked because Atlanta came out red hot to start the 3rd quarter.

The Hawks shot 66% from both behind the arc and from the field in the period, and Atlanta simply dominated the lackluster Pacers. Jeff Teague and Demarre Carroll out-hustled the Pacers on multiple occasions which usually lead to an Indiana timeout. The 36 points in the third quarter extended the lead to 24 and the Hawks never looked back. Coach Bud was able to rest many of the starters in the fourth quarter (despite a mini-run from Indiana), and that allowed five bench players to get 15+ minutes.

Six players ended up in double figures lead by DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Teague with 17 each. Teague also added another 11 assists which was his 7th double-double of the season. The Hawks as a whole were dropping dimes everywhere. They had their sixth game with over 30 assists this month, which is more than the rest of the league combined. You knew it would be a good night for Atlanta when Kyle Korver and Pero Antic were getting in the paint and finishing at the rim with authority.

The Atlanta Hawks will next be in action against Kevin Durrant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. They will try and extend their winning streak to 15 and improve record against the vaunted Western Conference. Check back for a full preview on Friday morning.