The Hawks, one and a half games behind the second-seeded Toronto Raptors and two games ahead of the eighth-seeded Boston Celtics, sat in fourth place in the congested Eastern Conference playoff picture before the start of play on Monday night.
The Hawks faced off against the reeling Magic on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and were able to prevail in this Southeast division rivalry matchup, beating the Magic 98-81. The Hawks remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 25-17. The Magic have now lost seven of their last eight games.
The Hawks took the lead when Al Horford sunk a midrange jumper to make it 2-0 with 10 minutes and 52 seconds remaining in the first quarter, and never relinquished that lead. With the game against Orlando being their last home game before a four game West Coast road trip, the win was important for the team’s momentum moving forward.
Consistency has been something that the Hawks have been struggling with throughout their roller-coaster season. Even Coach Mike Budenholzer does not seem to have the solution to the problem.
“If I knew the answer, I’d tell you,” Budenholzer told reporters. “If it was in a pill or something, we’d take it.”
Nonetheless, the Hawks looked fairly consistent on Monday. Budenholzer noted in the pregame that they needed to play with pace and attack the basket at will, and they were able to do that from tip-off.
Seemingly no one held onto the ball for longer than two seconds, and the passing as a whole was precise and calculated. Hawks shooters often gave up decent shot opportunities for better ones by moving the ball to the next shooter along the perimeter. This ceaseless distribution of the ball led to efficient shooting from all over the field. The Hawks shot 51% from the field and 47% from beyond the arc during the night.
Hawks forward Paul Millsap again showed why he may be the most underrated player in the NBA. Millsap ended the game with 13 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and shot six for nine from the field, thus quietly putting together another performance in which he played every aspect of the game well. A true basketball Renaissance man, his play this season warrants an all-star selection at the very minimum.
Hawks guard Kyle Korver’s shooting woes continued against the Magic, with five points, four rebounds, two for five from the field and one for three from three-point range. The Hawks’ consistent passing left him open with opportunities throughout the game, but Korver just did not seem to be able to knock down his allotted shots. Despite showing occasional signs of life during the first half of the season, especially on Friday night at Milwaukee, Korver has had a down year in comparison to his 2014-15 campaign. Age and his offseason ankle surgery may have caught up with him.
“I’m trying to get more shots,” Korver said. “I’m really being guarded hard on the three-point line. There’s just not a lot of space to pull up from three a lot of time. I’m trying not to overdo it.”
Against a slumping team like the Magic, it was important to start the game off with tenacity and fortitude, a mindset the Hawks were able to instill for all 48 minutes.
“I think it was a pretty consistent effort, pretty consistent defense by our group,” Coach Budenholzer said. “At different times maybe the offense wasn’t as pretty, but they’re a pretty good defensive team, so I think it’s a good win for us.”
The Hawks will embark on a four game road trip and will hope to keep the momentum from a successful home stand rolling on the West Coast. Atlanta’s next game will be at Portland on Jan. 20th.
