Instant Takeaways From the Hawks Win Over the Dallas Mavericks

It was not pretty, but the Hawks winning streak remains in tact after a 12 point win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Everyone in the Hawks starting five got to double digits and Atlanta overcame poor bench production to outlast the Mavericks.

Let's get into the takeaways.

1. Winning streak continues

The Hawks still have the longest winning streak in the NBA after tonight. Atlanta has now won seven games in a row and when you look ahead to the schedule, there is no reason for the winning to stop if the Hawks keep playing like this.

On Thursday, Atlanta will host Brooklyn and then they play the Bucks for the final time this season before they host the Magic for a massive game next Monday. The Hawks are squarely in the conversation for the top five in the Eastern Conference and will be in the mix as long as they continue to win games.

2. Second quarter offense

After coming out of the gate hot with 40 points in the first quarter, it looked like the Hawks were going to seize control of this game as soon as it started. However, they had a very poor second quarter on the offensive end that kept the Mavericks in the game.

At one point in the first half, Dallas had the lead down to four thanks to a 2-10 start from the field for Atlanta and a couple of turnovers. The Mavericks would outscore the Hawks 27-24 in the second quarter and trim a double digit lead to single digits heading to the locker room.

3. Hawks close strong

In the third quarter, Khris Middleton and Klay Thompson were doing their best to turn back the clock and play like they did in their prime. They each had ten points and in the fourth quarter, Dallas tied the game 97-97. The Hawks closed the game on a 17-15 run and it was Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker that led the way.

Johnson finished the fourth quarter with 13 points and four assists, putting him at 27 points for the game and nearing a triple double. Alexander-Walker had a game high 29 points including two big three pointers in the fourth. The Hawks winning streak was in serious jeopardy tonight, but their biggest stars stepped up when need and now the Hawks are 34-31

4. Lack of bench production

The Hawks bench had a tough night tonight and that has been the case for the past couple of games. They are still missing Jonathan Kuminga, but this group still is not getting enough done on a nightly basis.

The Hawks bench of Zaccharie Risacher, Gabe Vincent, Corey Kispert, Jock Landale, and Mouhamed Gueye combined for 24 points and no player finished with a positive +/- in the game. Gueye had a solid first half with nine points and five rebounds, but he was unable to make an impact for the whole game.

The starting five is doing the heavy lifting for the Hawks right now, but they are going to have to get more from their bench moving forward if they want to be a serious threat.