The Atlanta Hawks (12-11) recovered from an early deficit to stop the surging Milwaukee Bucks (11-10) with a dominant 118-104 victory on December 5. The Hawks continued their winning ways with five straight games while the Bucks’ streak was halted at seven games.
Milwaukee, on the second night of a back-to-back, looked sluggish and the Hawks took full advantage. Atlanta took control with a 30-12 advantage in fast-break points, a 55-40 edge on the boards, a commanding 64-34 lead in points in the paint, and a stellar 20-of-22 performance at the free-throw line.
Jalen Johnson displayed a monster performance, racking up 23 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Clint Capela added 8 points and 17 rebounds. De’Andre Hunter tallied 20 points and 3 steals while Bogdan Bogdanovic registered 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals off the bench. Trae Young finished with 17 points but had a tough time finding his range, shooting 0-of-9 from deep.
Giannis Antetokounmpo put his team on his back with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Damian Lillard backstopped him with 25 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
Hawks’ Balanced Offense and Stifling Defense Drive Them to the Win
The Bucks pounced early, taking a (25-15) lead but the Hawks responded with a 10-2 run to cut the margin to a single possession. Soon after, they tightened up defensively, forcing four Bucks turnovers and grabbing a three-point lead. Both teams traded baskets in the second but Bogdanovic stepped up, scoring 13 to extend the Hawks’ control to (62-51). The game turned sloppy afterward, with both teams combining for seven turnovers, but the Hawks managed to hold onto their double-digit lead.
The Hawks unleashed a 9-0 run to start the third, extending their lead to (79-59). Lillard and Antetokounmpo tried to stem the tide, cutting the deficit to 13 points but the Hawks pushed it back to 20. The Bucks found their spark, hitting 4 straight three-pointers to make it a game again. But they couldn’t mount a serious push in the fourth as the Hawks ran away with the win.
The Bucks face the Celtics on Saturday, while the Hawks challenge the Lakers.
