Hawks Lose Epic Shootout Against Pacers 157-152

This game had the highest total of any NBA game today and it was due to both teams having some of the best offense in the NBA and both teams having two of the worst defenses in the NBA. You add in the pace that both teams play with and you have a recipe for a high-scoring affair and at the beginning of the game, that is exactly what you got.

Indiana hit its first two three-pointers of the game to take a 6-0 lead, but Atlanta would get on the board with a deep three from Trae Young. The Hawks would get their first lead of the game (9-8) with 9:30 left in the first quarter and both teams would be going back and forth until the first timeout with 6:19 left in the quarter.

The Pacers led 19-17 and Aaron Nesmith was leading the way with seven points. Clint Capela has six points, two rebounds, and a block halfway through the quarter.

After the timeout, Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey checked in the game as the first subs.

The teams would continue to go back and forth, but it was the Hawks that led after the first quarter 40-34. It was a frantic finish to the quarter highlighted by an Obi Toppin and another deep three from Young. The 40 points were the most the Hawks had scored in a quarter all season.

OBI TOPPIN MY GOODNESS 😱

🏆 NBA In-Season Tournament
🏀 East Group A action on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/yFrbS8LpOo pic.twitter.com/7oW7tDW1Qd
— NBA (@NBA) November 22, 2023

They did not slow down at the start of the second quarter.

Atlanta went on a 7-3 run to start the quarter and Indiana had to use a timeout not even two minutes into the quarter. Atlanta led 47-37 and was getting whatever they wanted to on the offensive side. After the timeout, it was Young, Johnson, Okongwu, Bogi, and Bey on the floor.

While Atlanta was not playing great defense, it was non-existent for the Pacers. Atlanta was finding mismatches every time down the floor and was shooting nearly 70% from the field and three halfway through the second quarter.

Bogdanovic had a poor game on Friday against the 76ers, but the first half belonged to him. The Pacers could not find a way to stop him and at the 7:32 timeout from Indiana, Bogi had 16 points on 6-8 shooting. He has a chance to get in the 6th man of the year conversation and he showed why in the first half tonight.

Do you want to know how good of a first half the Hawks played? They scored a franchise record 86 points, shooting 62% from the field and 56% from three. Bogi had 22 points, Dejounte had 14, and Jalen Johnson put together a complete half with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds. Atlanta was scoring 1.45 points per possession and had an offensive rating of 145.1. They were shooting well and getting little resistance from the Pacers.

Indiana shot 52% from the field in the first half and 36% from three. Haliburton had a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.

Could they keep it going in the second half though and not give up their lead to the high-powered Pacers?

Yes, but they were having a hard time guarding the Pacers.

Indiana hit four of their first five threes in the second half and after back-to-back triples from Haliburton to cut the lead to eight, the Pacers were right bak in the game. Quin Snyder called a timeout with 8:38 left in the third to get his team back and settled.

Coming back from the timeout, Atlanta got a bucket from Murray to get the lead back to double-digits. After a technical foul on Young, Haliburton hit the free throw and then a three on the other end to cut the lead to five, 100-95. Young would hit a deep three to get the crowd back into it, but it was Haliburton who was stealing the show in the third. After he hit another three to give himself 26 points to go along with 12 assists, Snyder called a timeout with 5:21 left.

It got worse after the timeout.

De'Andre Hunter (who had a really rough night again) had a turnover and it led to a basket on the other end.

It was the Tyrese Haliburton show though.

He hit his first six shots of the quarter and finished the third quarter with 26 points and all of a sudden, the Hawks trailed by five going into the fourth quarter. Indiana outscored Atlanta 46-28 in the third quarter and shot 72% from the field and 81% from three. It was a total reversal of how the first half went and Atlanta was going to have to win the final quarter to beat the Pacers and remain alive in the in-season tournament.

The Pacers kept rolling to start the second half. Indiana go the lead up to 13, but a three-point play from Bey and back-to-back baskets from Young cut the lead to six and then Young was fouled and went to the line. He split the pair of free throws and the lead was 129-124 with 8:23 to go in the game.

Murray hit a three and then after a two-point basket from Mathurin, Murray hit another and it was a three-point game.

The fourth quarter was a showdown between two elite point guards in Young and Haliburton and in the fourth, Young had the upper hand early. He had eight points in the quarter with 5:13 left in the game and Atlanta trailed 138-135.

TRAE AGAIN pic.twitter.com/sfkiFOBYE5
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 22, 2023

The Pacers found themselves in front 145-139 with 3:25 left but Murray was heading to the line to try and cut into the lead. He hit both and then got a steal on the other end. Young got to the line and hit both and it was a two-point game. After Nesmith got the lead back to four, Young hit a deep three to make it a one-point game.

The game was tied 152-152 with under a minute left and it was not Haliburton who hit the big shot, it was Buddy Hield. Hield nailed a three and the Pacers led by three with 33.3 seconds to go. An offensive fould was called on Murray on the ensuing possession and after an unsuccessful challenge from Snyder, Indiana had the ball up three with 34.6 left after more time was put on the clock.

Young got a steal and Murray led the fast break. However, he opted to go for a contested layup down three with under 10 seconds remaining and he missed it. Indiana hit another layup and won the game 157-152.

It was a terrible way to lose if you are the Hawks after being up by 13 points at halftime. Atlanta now has nothing left to play for in the in-season tournament and has lost three in a row to fall to 6-7.

Atlanta shot 60% from the field and 48% from three. Indiana shot 61% from the field and 49% from three.

It was a great dual between the point guards. Haliburton finished with 37 points and 16 assists while Young finished with 38 points and eight assists.

Atlanta has some real issues right now, especially on the defensive end. If they can't get them fixed, their season could be in some early jeopardy.

Atlanta is back in action tomorrow night against the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 in State Farm Arena.

Follow Jackson on X here: @jackoncaudell

Follow Hawks coverage on Facebook here: All Hawks