Atlanta Hawks sometimes encounter stumbles while trying to complete their slow climb towards .500.
One of these was a disastrous third quarter at home against Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. The hawks will try to bounce back from a rough view as they visit the Brooklyn networks on Sunday evening.
HAWKS (32-35) is 10-8 since they released eight directly from January 20. 1. Before Friday’s 121-98 route by Clippers, they had won at least four straight matches for the third time this season.
Atlanta was outscored 35-8 during the third period on Friday. Hawks hit 4 out of 23 shots from the field, missed all eight 3-point attempts and allowed 12 points out of eight turnover.
“It was the perfect storm,” said Atlanta coach Quin Snyder after his team gave up a 15-2 run to finish the third. “We had some open looks from 3, some wide open. We had the ball at the edge and had some arrangements that danced around the edge and did not go in. When that happens you can’t turn the ball.
Atlantas Onyka Okongwu scored 18 points and Trae Young added 17, but Young shot 6 out of 18 from the floor and was 2 out of 12 in the last three quarters.
“Whatever the way of thinking you have, you keep it or you forget it,” Young said. “I don’t really care how someone handles it, as long as they are ready to play against Brooklyn, which I know I will do. All is well.”
Nets (22-45) is 1-10 in the last 11 matches after winning seven out of nine in their best season.
Brooklyn’s last five losses – to Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics – is with a combined 18 point. Unlike the first four defeat when the Nets blew double-digit leads by massively fighting during the first half, they deleted almost an 11-point deficit in the last 2:44 of Saturday’s 115-113 home loss to Celtics when they dragged with 21 during the first half.
Nets will play the rest of the season without their leading goal scorer, Cam Thomas, who injured his hamstring for the third time 2024-25. Without Thomas, Cameron Johnson got 23 points and Keon Johnson added 21.
Cameron Johnson did 11 years during the fourth quarter and comes from his second 20-point game in Brooklyn’s image. Keon Johnson had his best game since he made 25 in a 17-point loss to Washington Wizards on February 5.
“I can tell these guys that I’m really proud of how they played,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. “There are no moral victories here, but if it will be our identity, many good things will happen.”
Nets will get Nic Claxtton back to his starting lineup after resting him, and they will probably continue to extend a look at Maxwell Lewis, acquired from Los Angeles Lakers in December for Dorian Finney-Smith. Lewis got a career pile of 15 points while playing 16 minutes from the bench.
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