Peachtree Hoops: Hawks offense runs stale in 109-95 loss to Dallas Mavericks

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Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

The Hawks suffered defeat to the Mavericks in Dallas on Thursday night. As fans may sourly remember, Luka Doncic scored an extraordinary 73 points in the last matchup.

Jalen Johnson dimed Clint Capela for the first bucket of the game. Luka Doncic missed his first five shots, with Hunter healthy and serving as the primary defender this time around. The Hawks led 22-18 with a few minutes remaining in the first. De’Andre Hunter grabbed a steal, came down and committed an offensive charge, while Garrison Mathews received a technical foul in a wild sequence. Kobe Bufkin beat the buzzer to take a 31-25 lead after one quarter of play.

Kobe Bufkin vs. Kyrie Irving #HawksHighlight pic.twitter.com/1ljQFFaX2v

— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) April 5, 2024

The Mavericks took the lead with a little less than five minutes to go in the second quarter. Outscoring the Hawks 30-21 in the second quarter, the Mavs led 55-52 at the 2:38 mark. Doncic nailed a near-circus shot to finish the half, and the Mavericks led 65-57.

The Mavericks started the third quarter on a 22-13 run, largely thanks to heroics from Luka Doncic. Bufkin entered late in the quarter and put in his second made basket of the game.

A floater you can bank on from pic.twitter.com/shI7WUZdln

— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) April 5, 2024

The Hawks trailed 93-81 entering the fourth quarter. Bufkin scored a couple more early in the fourth, while Jalen Johnson limped off the court after seemingly bumping knees with Daniel Gafford. However, he would soon reenter the game.

With a score of 100-90, Hunter knocked down a triple to cut the deficit to seven. The game ran stale as the fourth quarter continued, with neither team scoring often. Both teams scored 12 points in the first nine minutes. However, the Mavericks scored enough to put the Hawks away.

The Hawks went eleven consecutive possessions without scoring when they needed it most, resulting in this loss on the latter of a back to back.

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