Atlanta Hawks are back. After a disappointing first half of the season, Nate McMillan’s team has found a way to reconnect with the game that took them to the conference finals last year. Against the Los Angeles Lakers they got the seventh in a row thanks to a resounding comeback in the last quarter.
The day already began with bad news for fans of the Los Angeles franchise. LeBron James was prolonging his absence and will undergo further tests to assess the condition of his left knee. However, harnessed to the input of Anthony Davis and Malik Monk, who combined for a combined 37 points in the first half, the Lakers entered the break nine points ahead.
After passing through the changing rooms the tone of the game changed. The Hawks came to take the lead thanks to good minutes from Clint Capela and Trae Young. But the Lakers had a card in store and closed the room in the best possible way. Monk led a 14-3 run that would give them a 10-point lead before going into the final 12 minutes.
The Lakers were on their way to a surprising win in Atlanta, but Onyeka Okongwu showed up. Some immense final minutes of the Hawks center, accompanied by an immense Trae Young, decided the match. The latter was the top scorer of the match with 36 points. In addition, he distributed 12 assists, 3 in the last quarter.
At the end of the match, Trae Young spoke regarding the disputed refereeing performance. «When Tony Brothers mentions to me how many years he has been an referee in this league, I don’t care at all. It just turns me on. I’m just competitive. It brings out the best in me and my teammates,” said the Hawks star.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are still looking for a way to compete without LeBron James. In the press area, Malik Monk acknowledged that they miss their leader.“We’ve missed him so much, but that’s our job to figure out how to play without him.», confessed the top scorer for the Lakers tonight (33 points).
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
