All Hawks

Hawks Beat Clippers 112-106

The Hawks are now 32-34.

Pat Benson

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Recap

Every game is meaningful at this point in the season as the Hawks scrap for a position in the post-season. Hopefully, as a sign of things to come, the Hawks put together a complete game on both ends of the floor in their 112-106 victory over the Clippers. 

It should come as no surprise that Trae Young led the Hawks with 27 points and 11 assists. Several of those assists went to the hot hands of perimeter players Kevin Huerter and Danilo Gallinari, who finished with 16 and 13 points, respectively. 

Bogdan Bogdanovic came off the bench but finally cooled off after nearly a 6-week tear which earned him 6th Man of the Month in February. 'Bogi' shot 1-7 from behind the arc and finished with 11 points. That's to be expected. What was surprising was Delon Wright logging only 5 minutes. However, that question was answered after the game (see below).

The Clippers team kept it close to the very end. They played inside-out basketball, with Ivica Zubac and Reggie Jackson scoring 24 and 23 points, respectively. 

However, the Clippers entered this game shorthanded. They had a slew of injured players, most notably Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Their problems were exasperated when Marcus Morris, Sr. was ejected from the game after receiving his second technical foul.

Post-Game Interviews

Hawks head coach Nate McMillan said, "I saw us finish. We've been talking about execution here in the last couple of games, and that's execution. You got to get stops when you need to get stops. You got to make baskets when you need to make baskets. We were able to do that in our last five minutes of this game."

McMillan clarified some burning questions about John Collins and Delon Wright. He said of Collins, "We're not going to tell you everything. I just respect him for his effort. He does have some things going on that he's trying to play through. But he suited up and gave us his best effort. I really have a great deal of respect for what John is doing for us and what he's trying to play through."

As for Wright's sudden decline in minutes, McMillan explained that he shortened his rotation from ten down to nine players. "I talked to Delon about that. It's nothing he has done. He's been playing well for us. But it's really difficult to play a ten-man rotation because everybody gets squeezed, including Delon."

Trae Young sat down at the podium wearing a lime green Adidas X Fear of God hoodie. When asked about the fourth quarter, "We just slowed down and figured out what we wanted to do. We had it right. We knew what we wanted to do..."

Then Young took the media to school. "Get in some drags, some pick-and-rolls. Then they were doing a lot of trapping so was able to really find Clint or somebody else, and then they were making the right plays."

Young continued, "They did a lot of trapping in the fourth quarter, and it left a lot of guys open for shots and also driving lanes. 'Dre made a big play down the stretch that put us up four. That was a big play for us."

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The Hawks next game is Sunday evening against the Indiana Pacers. The organization will be celebrating 'Hispanic Heritage Night' throughout the game, so it's sure to be a fun game. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

Photos

Antonio Brown / Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Wide Receiver Antonio Brown is a free agent (if you couldn't read what is on his hoodie). Also, check out the Yeezy's on his feet.

Trae Young / Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Death, taxes, and Trae Young scoring 25+ points per game. The Atlanta Hawks point guard took no prisoners tonight.

Kevin Huerter / Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Kevin Huerter made some clutch shots throughout the game. Hats off to 'Red Velvet' for bringing his A-game tonight.

Clint Capela / Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela tallied yet another double-double tonight against the formidable frontcourt of the Clippers.

Amir Coffey / Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

LA Clippers shooting guard Amir Coffey led his team to victory back on January 9. Luckily, the Hawks were able to contain him in this game.

Stats

Hawks Leaders

Trae Young - 27 PTS, 11 AST

Kevin Huerter - 16 PTS, 8 REB

Clint Capela - 14 PTS, 11 REB

Clippers Leaders

Ivica Zubac - 24 PTS, 12 REB

Reggie Jackson - 23 PTS, 5 AST

Luke Kennard - 15 PTS, 4 REB

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Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".

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