ATLANTA — Nearly giving this one away late, the Hawks (33-34) survived a detailed name vs. the Pacers (23-46), successful 131-128 on Sunday at State Farm Arena.
1. John Collins missed this sport with a proper ring finger sprain and a proper foot pressure. He missed seven video games for the best foot pressure from Feb. 13 to March 3. Collins has not absolutely seemed like himself since returning March 4, telling The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on March 7 that he was taking part in by ache. The Pacers, in the meantime, had quite a few gamers out, lots of whom are central figures on the workforce, together with Malcolm Brogdon (concussion), T.J. McConnell (proper wrist ligament surgical procedure), Ricky Rubio (left knee ACL tear), Myles Turner (left foot stress response) and T.J. Warren (left navicular fracture).
2. Trae Young dominated early, setting a profession excessive for factors in a half with 33 within the first half. He completed with 47 factors (13-20 FG, 7-for-10 from 3-point vary, 14-14 FT), 5 assists and three rebounds general, with 4 turnovers and two steals. He completed as a plus-2, although, with the Pacers successful the fourth quarter, 36-26. They dialed in on limiting Young within the second half.
“I think we got kind of caught up in whenever they went box-and-1. I think we were pretty smooth, even in the second unit, because they weren’t doing that, and I think we were able to score, but whenever I came back in, they went back to the box-and-1, or not necessarily box-and-1 but face-guarding,” Young stated of what modified within the second half, referring to a protection when 4 gamers play zone and one is solely targeted on an opposing participant who’s excelling. “And just not letting me catch it, and whenever I did, double-teaming me … Everybody just didn’t know what to do whenever we got into that position.”
3. The Hawks far exceeded the Pacers, who had been taking part in on the second half of a back-to-back with eight gamers obtainable, in expertise and depth, however they nonetheless had bother placing this sport away. The offense was electrical with a season-high 77 factors by halftime, however as the sport wore on, the Hawks’ protection didn’t restrict the Pacers sufficient to actually put a comeback out of attain.
Coming out sturdy within the third quarter, aiming to decelerate Young, the Pacers whittled the Hawks’ 18-point lead at halftime to seven, 89-82, on the 5:14 mark. In the fourth quarter, it received down to 2, 125-123, with 1:09 left after two free throws from Duane Washington Jr. (22 factors). Tyrese Haliburton (25 factors, 10 assists) and Buddy Hield (25 factors, 5 assists, 4 rebounds) led Indiana in scoring.
“The second half, we just didn’t control the ball,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan stated of the protection. “When you don’t control the ball and it gets into your paint, it forces your defense to collapse. Now you’re in scramble mode, and they do a really good job of attacking your rotations, and they were able to get into the paint, kick out and knock down some 3s in that second half. It starts with you controlling that ball and keeping the ball in front of you.”
4. A large-open dunk by De’Andre Hunter (15 factors, two assists) put the Hawks up by 4 with 4.1 seconds left, and though Young then dedicated an ill-advised foul, Hield made 1 of two free throws, and the Hawks had been capable of escape within the remaining seconds. A win is a win, nevertheless it’s not a terrific signal for his or her protection that such a depleted Pacers workforce shot 51.7% from the sector (42.9% from 3-point vary), put up 128 factors and gave the Hawks a run for his or her cash (grabbing 15 offensive rebounds to the Hawks’ 9).
“I thought we started relaxed and allowed their trap to become a stop sign,” McMillan stated. “We just were trying to get the ball to Trae and play off of that, but it’s just simple space the floor. You’ve got two on the ball, you move the ball and you look to attack, be aggressive.”
5. Entering Sunday’s contest, Tankathon rated the Hawks’ remaining schedule because the second best within the NBA. Monday, the Hawks will play the struggling Trail Blazers (26-40), who had misplaced six straight earlier than beating the Wizards on Saturday, with an opportunity to lastly get again to .500 for the primary time since Dec. 15. Granted, they’d the prospect to take action March 7 in Detroit against a rebuilding Pistons workforce and misplaced in extra time. The Hawks have 15 video games left within the common season.
Stat of the sport: 77 (the variety of factors the Hawks scored within the first half, a season excessive for both half, which helped them to a win regardless of dropping the second half 69-54)
Star of the sport: Young (had a game-high 47 factors, together with a career-high 33 within the first half)
Quotable: “We’re going to have to put these last two games behind us and come out with that focus we had from the beginning, and get to that level of play once again.” (McMillan on the Hawks’ alternative to get again to .500 once more)
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