Three Takeaways From Hawks 112-101 Win Over Cleveland
The Hawks win over the Cavaliers last night closely resembled their win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. Atlanta raced out to a big lead, lost it, but controlled the fourth quarter for a win. It was the Hawks second straight win and keeps them in position to be in the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference.
So what are the big takeaways from the Hawks win over Cleveland?
1. The Hawks cannot afford to lose Jalen Johnson for a long period of time with an injury
Jalen Johnson has been one of the breakout stars in the NBA this season, averaging 16 PPG, 9 RPG, and 3 APG, as well as being a really good defender. He is going to be a building block for this franchise going forward, but he suffered a right ankle injury early in the third quarter last night.
Johnson already missed time this year with a wrist injury and it was clear that the Hawks don't have anyone that can replace his skill set. Johnson is a versatile forward with exceptional athleticism. He can lead the break in transition and guard any position, things that no other player on the Hawks can do at his level. Head Coach Quin Snyder did not have much of an update on Johnson's injury after the game:
Hopefully it is nothing that will keep Johnson out for a long time.
2. The Hawks closed the Cavs out in the 4th quarter
Atlanta led by as many as 21 in this game, but Cleveland would outscore Atlanta 40-23 in the third quarter and they held the lead going into the fourth quarter. After Johnson went down with his injury and the third quarter the Cavs had, it was reasonable to think that Cleveland would win the game.
The Hawks defense came through though, much like it did on Tuesday night vs the Knicks. Cleveland shot 27% in the final quarter and were 0-11 on three-pointers. The Cavs only scored 12 points in the quarter and the Hawks won by 11
Saddiq Bey and Bogdan Bogdanovic combined for 17 points in the fourth quarter.
3. Bogdan Bogdanovic finally had a boucneback performance
It has been a struggle for Bogdanovic in the last five games. He has struggled to score the basketball recently, but he performed up to his usual standard. Bogdanovic scored 23 points on 8-15 shooting and he also had six assits. Bogdanovic has had a really good season, but hit a wall on offense over the past week. Hopefull he can find consistencly going forward.
