With three defeats in a row, and deprived of Trae Young, the Hawks are taking this match in Los Angeles, against the Clippers, by the right end. Dejounte Murray and Jalen Johnson are already combining for an alley-oop while Vit Krejci has already countered James Harden. But Los Angeles remains in contact with an excellent Kawhi Leonard who will end the period with 17 points, 6/9 on shots! Paul George distinguished himself with an interception concluded with a nice dunk but it was Atlanta which won the first quarter with a short header (31-29).
And the Hawks accelerate again in the second quarter. If Kawhi Leonard was the tree that hid the forest in the first quarter, the Clippers completely capsized afterwards. With a 10-0 Atlanta to start. Then a 17-2 while LA thought they had done the hardest part by coming back to -6. Behind a formidable Bogdan Bogdanovic behind the arc, with 11 points in the 2nd quarter, the Hawks widened the gap to +21. After holding the Clippers to just 15 points, they are in control at the break (61-44).
The Hawks at +27!
Halftime doesn't change anything in the Clippers' business. The Hawks come back with drooling on their lips again, and like in the first quarter, shoot above 50%. Dejounte Murray takes the role of Bogdan Bogdanovic with a 3/4 3-pointer which increases the gap to 27 units!
Like James Harden who has distilled 7 passes but remains 0/7 on shots, the Clippers are playing on alternating current. And the Hawks continue to puncture their defense at will, with five players at 11 points or more, including De'Andre Hunter very good off the bench, at 15 points in 16 minutes of play (88-62).
Ty Lue keeps his starters in play to start the final quarter, and the pride of his All Star veterans allows for a clearing, in the form of a 9-0 (including Harden's first basket of the game). But if George and Harden accumulate 18 points between them to hope for a comeback, the Hawks keep control of the match and Jalen Johnson does not hesitate to plant a basket which is worth a lot at 3-points, to break the Californian dynamic (110- 93).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– A slackness which is confirmed for the Clippers. With this fourth loss in five games, the Clippers are clearly at the bottom of the wave. Beaten in intensity and combat, whether against the Pelicans or the Hawks last night, the Californian veterans suffered the full brunt of their schedule, with two defeats against the “big guys” (Milwaukee, Minnesota and even New Orleans). Fortunately for them, the latter is softening with a double meeting against the Blazers, in Portland, coming this week.
– Difficult return to business for James Harden. Absent two games in a row due to shoulder pain, James Harden had a hard time finding his rhythm in attack. Although he certainly quickly found his teammates, finishing with 9 assists, he was however in great difficulty scoring, scoring his first basket of the match at the start of the fourth quarter! He finished with 9 points, 9 assists, all at 3/10 on shots.
– The Hawks raise their voice on defense. More consistent in their effort, more skillful in their shots, and quite simply more applied, the Hawks were congratulated by their coach, Quin Snyder, for their defensive work in Los Angeles. By forcing 16 loose balls, which led to 26 points, while holding the Clippers to a small 38% on shots in the match, the Hawks knew how to tighten the screw at the right times. “Our players said certain things to each other about what we need to do defensively, and they were very focused on that. Offensively, we really attacked them. I am very happy with our performance. »
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
