Three Takeaways From Hawks 124-118 Win Over the Indiana Pacers

Yesterday, the Hawks did an excellent job of flipping the script. They bounced back from a tough loss against the Bucks where they shot 39% from deep in the game, tied it at 121-121 with 1:02 left on the clock and still ended up losing by six points. In that game, Atlanta let Brook Lopez get to the rim and throw down a dunk to make it a 123-121 game. Young missed the floater, the Hawks couldn't get to the rebound and Damian Lillard drove into the paint for a layup that gave Milwaukee momentum. Atlanta then missed its next two shots and dropped a game that they had every opportunity to win.

They did not let that happen against the Pacers. The Hawks finished with 38 points in the fourth quarter and consistently thwarted any late runs by Indiana. They had a hard time handling Pascal Siakam, but they did a commendable job on the rest of Indiana's lineup and hit shots at critical junctures to get a much-needed win.

Here are three main takeaways from yesterday's win.

Atlanta's Bench Bullied Indiana

Georges Niang led the Hawks with 24 points off the bench (including four threes), but it wasn't just him contributing to tonight's win. Terence Mann finished as a +12 in a six-point win while scoring 12 points on 5/9 shooting. While he was quiet as a scorer outside of the second quarter, he helped the Hawks erase a ten-point deficit early in the quarter. LeVert found Risacher and Niang for big three-pointers in the fourth quarter while Capela helped the Hawks build some momentum at the start of the second quarter. Compared to the measly 22 points the Pacers got from their bench, the second unit for Atlanta absolutely made a difference.

Two Games, Two Double-Doubles for OO

Okongwu hasn't been perfect as a starting center and he's oscilated between some promising and rough games. The Memphis game was good while he struggled against the Bucks. However, he landed on the positive end of the spectrum tonight. He only missed one attempt from the field on his way to racking up a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double. Most of those boards came on defense, ending possessions for Indiana and giving the Hawks' offense another chance to extend leads or make up ground. In a back-and-forth game, those are the little things that make the difference and he provided that tonight. Amidst an off night from Dyson Daniels, Okongwu took over as the second option for Atlanta and fared well against a difficult matchup in Myles Turner. He also operated well as a passer tonight, dishing out two assists to open shooters.

Mo Gueye Drives the Defense

Once again, Gueye's inconsistent offense makes it difficult for the Hawks to rely on him for extended stretches. That did not change tonight - Niang still got more minutes (25) than he did (23). Still, it's hard to deny his defensive flashes. He stripped Siakam and quickly found Young in transition, who buried the three afterwards. Gueye led all players with 4 stocks and also grabbed five defensive boards. He's certainly earned more looks next year in defensively-oriented lineups. In the absence of Jalen Johnson, having big defenderss who are not helpless on the perimeter is especially important for Atlanta. He's been able to provide Atlanta with that.

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