The Hawks have not had the expected season, but they are in time to take flight. With the victory harvested last night against Golden State they have reached a balance of 37-37 that almost confirms that they will be a team of play-in. Obviously that wasn’t the initial plan, but at least it gives them a fighting chance.
Before the Californians they gave one of their best versions. Trae Young shone with 33 points and 15 assists, Danilo Gallinari reached 25 points and Clint Capela posted a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Hawks were what you might imagine in the summer, not what they’ve become since the regular season started in October 2021.
Be that as it may, the reality is that they were imposed with some clarity on some Warriors who continue to miss Stephen Curry – who wouldn’t. Although San Francisco started better, winning by up to 11 points in the second quarter, Georgia turned the situation around to the point of dominating by up to 18 points at the end of the third period. From there they knew how to manage their income so that the victory would not escape them.
“We knew that what we had to do was stop their attack. They came out strong and hit some tough, well-defended three-pointers. In the end, it all comes down to parrying their attacks and executing in the important moments. We did a good job of doing it. Klay hit some tough shots, but we still managed to stop them,” says Young.
The Hawks point guard is not without reason when highlighting Klay Thompson’s offensive success. The Warriors shooting guard was the game’s top scorer with 37 points and a fantastic 9 of 16 on three-pointers. He lacked accompaniment. Only Jordan Poole with 24 points and 10 assists, as well as Gary Payton II with 14 points off the bench, were also in double scoring figures. The coach, Steve Kerr, understands that the mistakes in the last minutes of the first half weighed on them for the rest of the night.
«The last two minutes of the second quarter were a disaster. We lost the ball, we made shots in bad positions…. They came out in transition, hit some 3-pointers and I think that dynamic continued into the second half. They felt more confident and dominated that third quarter. That was the key streak. From two minutes into the second and until the third, they took over the game.”
Despite the loss, the Warriors remain well placed in third place in the Western Conference at 48-26. It is true that it is difficult for them to catch up with Memphis, a team that leads them by three games, but it is also difficult for them to overtake them, since both Utah and Dallas are also three games behind them.
(Photograph by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)