Photo Courtesy of Logan Riely/Getty Images
After back-to-back losses against the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns, the Hawks picked up a 134-129 win in Thursday’s double-overtime matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. Entering the game, the Hawks hadn’t won consecutive games in San Antonio since the 1987-1988 season, with their last victory coming off Kevin Huerter’s game-winner against the Spurs in January of 2020.
This game proved to be one of the higher intensity games of the season for the Hawks as the last three periods were all nail-biters.
The Hawks kept an undersized Spurs team at bay throughout regulation as Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic carried the offensive load for a majority of the game. The pick and roll offense worked to perfection for the Hawks with Capela finishing with 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Capela had a highly efficient game recording his 30th double-double of the season in his 42nd game, according to the Hawks PR team.
Bogdanovic finished with a season-high 28 points and Hawks’ rookie Onyeka Okongwu posted his career-high totaling 10 points in 12 minutes of play.
In the final minute of the fourth quarter, the game seemed to be in the Hawks’ hands but a late Kevin Huerter turnover and a missed free throw by Trae Young proved to be costly. Demar DeRozan and the Spurs scratched back to tie the game with 2.7 seconds left in the quarter.
Trae Young missed the game-winning floater at the end of regulation but flipped a switch heading into the overtime periods. Young stayed composed playing with five fouls throughout overtime and scored 16 of his 30 points over that stretch along with 12 assists.
“I saw a kid that showed growth managing the game,” said head coach Nate McMillan in his postgame interview. “I thought he came back and made plays.”
The Hawks finished the first overtime period failing to get off a shot before time ran out with 16.6 seconds left on the clock and entered double overtime. The game continued to go back and forth between the Hawks and Spurs in the second overtime period until Danilo Gallinari hit the dagger to give the Hawks a four-point lead with 11.8 seconds remaining.
The perimeter and interior defense for the Hawks took a massive hit with the absence of both De’Andre Hunter and John Collins who were ruled out before the game.
Heading into Friday the Hawks sit directly at .500 on the season and will finish up their 8-game road trip against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.
