Atlanta Hawks take down the "Best in the West," 124-116

Some regular season games matter more than others in the NBA. Sure, they only count as one win or loss, but certain match-ups during the season create a buzz. Certain games define a team’s playoff chances in the minds of the fans. When it’s the best in the West versus the best in the East, you know you’re in for a treat. The game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors lived up to that billing.

The building was packed with Hawks fans at the start of the game, and unfortunately, they were treated to a shooting fiasco in the first quarter by the home team. The Hawks came out fast with a quick 9 points in 4 minutes, but then an arctic blast rolled through the arena, freezing over the Atlanta rim. Over the next seven minutes, the Hawks made exactly two buckets. No, you didn’t read that wrong. They went 2-12 from the floor with two turnovers. And yet they only trailed by three points at the end of the first period.

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The second quarter wasn’t much better for the Hawks. The offense struggled on the fast break just getting the ball to the rim. They suffered blocks and rim-outs from all over the place as Golden State poured on points of their own. Suddenly, the lead for Golden State was seven points, and things were looking bleak. But after some Mike Scott free throws, Dennis Schroder busted lose to the rack with a quick two, stuck his hand up on the inbound pass and deflected it to Horford, who kicked it to Kyle Korver for the 26-foot triple and the tie. The arena exploded with a roar that filled rafters so used to the stunned silence of suffering.

The new Atlanta Hawks refuse to disappoint with the fans at their back. Even getting outshot in the first half 46% to 37%, the Hawks managed to tie the score up at 52. The difference? The Hawks had seven steals and went 11-12 from the charity stripe. The real surprise of the first half was Kent Bazemore, who came off the bench 3-3 from beyond the arc, a steal, an assist, and four rebounds. He was a one man wrecking crew in just 13 minutes on the floor. And those key threes were what kept the Hawks in the game.

Atlanta came out firing in the third quarter and managed to get an eight point lead early, but a small disaster happened when Al Horford got his fourth foul with over 8 minutes left in the quarter. The loss of a key starter can have really be a setback with that much time left on the clock, and unfortunately it was. An eight point lead dwindled down to nothing as the Atlanta Hawks continued to fight hard for points in the paint. Unfortunately, the splash brothers of Golden State were really heating up in three-point land. Even so, the Hawks led by four points going to the final quarter.

In the old days of Hawks basketball, the fourth quarter was a dreaded time. It was a time of evaporating leads, bad luck, and last-second disasters. But guys like Mike Scott really stepped it up in the final quarter coming off the bench with 17 total points, and draining threes in succession. Forget the bad shooting of the first half, the Hawks were firing buckets down the stretch when it mattered. Everything seemed to go in as the team shot over 65% in the second half from the floor.

At the final buzzer, the Atlanta Hawks emerged victorious due to their great three-point shooting, hitting 15-27 for 56% from downtown. That was a better mark than the so-called splash brothers of Golden State. Oh, and Jeff Teague managed 23 points, while Paul Millsap posted 21 points of his own. Any given night somebody can be a hero for this team, but the reality is that when everyone is working together on the floor, they are totally unguardable.

This team has captured the hearts of Atlanta, and if you’re not already cheering for the Hawks, you will be soon. Mark it down.

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Atlanta Hawks take down the “Best in the West,” 124-116

By Benjamin Pace | Feb 6, 2015