Peachtree Hoops: Weary Hawks lose steam in loss to Mavericks

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Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Chalk this one up as a schedule loss.

The Hawks had a quick turnaround for this game, flying to Dallas after a home win over the Detroit Pistons for another game in under 24 hours. They looked to avoid a repeat of their January home loss to the Mavericks. You may recall that one as the game where Luka Doncic went off for 73 points — if you haven’t yet suppressed it from your memory.

While the Hawks held Doncic to just 25 points, their offense faded down the stretch in a 109-95 loss.

To be quite frank, it’s hard to point to a single Hawk who had a strong offensive performance. Garrison Mathews may qualify, although all 14 of his points on 5-for-6 shooting came in the first half. As a team, the Hawks coughed up the ball 21 times. They only shot 45% from two and 34% from three. Even their free throw shooting was uncharacteristically poor at 14-for-21 (67%). It just wasn’t their night.

Defensively, the scene was a bit better. With De’Andre Hunter available, unlike the previous battle between these two teams, he made things for Doncic as difficult as could be expected. In the first quarter, Doncic missed his first five shots partially as a result from Hunter’s defense — but really some were normally makes for a player of his caliber.

Hunter’s concedes a bit too much space as he’s being backed down, but Doncic can’t hit the turnaround fadeaway.

This one was truly solid defense, as ‘Dre’ doesn’t give Doncic the space for a spin back, and Luka is forced to throw up a wild shot.

Two quick fouls sent him to the bench early, but Doncic rebounded in the second quarter — including a floating one-handed three at the very end of the half to break Atlanta’s back. But a 25-point, 12-rebound, and eight-assist night for the MVP candidate represents an off-night for him so that was one win last night.

One more bright spot in this one was the performance of rookie guard Kobe Bufkin. In just his third game back from injury, he flashed some serious two-way potential.

Here, Bufkin does a good job of peeling off the switched screen action to halt Kyrie Irving. He then jars the ball loose from Maxi Kleber just as the pass arrives low.

Below, he attacks the dropping Kleber after a pick-and-roll with a nice lefty floater.

And how about this effort diving on the floor when he sees a rare loose dribble from Irving, forcing a turnover?

“[Bufkin] did a good job,” praised head coach Quin Snyder. “We extended him a little bit. That group was playing well and he was a big part of it. I just want him to make plays for other people but also to be aggressive. When he’s open, taking shots. He had one in pick-and-roll where he cut back and pulled up and made a nice little 15-footer. That’s the way he has to play, and he’s doing that. I know he’s excited to be healthy as well.”

The Hawks winnowed the lead down to as low as seven in the final quarter, but then neither team absolutely could not buy a make. This sequence typified the fourth quarter action. All that’s missing is the Yakkity Sax overlay.

On the next halfcourt possession, Murray loses the ball on a drive.

And then on the following possession, Capela is called for a seemingly innocuous seal screen.

Snyder remarked diplomatically postgame about the effect the refereeing has on his team, saying, “there was one timeout where we talked about those external things, be it officiating or missed shots, impact on us more than the effect that it has in the game and to try to move on to the next play. It’s something that’s important, particularly when you feel like there’s a call that doesn’t go your way which sometimes is the case.”

Finally, a ‘Bogi’ airball three leads to a missed Capela layup and a scramble for the ball on the ground.

It just wasn’t to be for the Hawks, who played decent enough defense and decent enough offense to win, but they couldn’t overcome the numerous easy missed shots nor interference from the striped officials.

“I thought we gave ourselves a chance,” said Snyder. “We continued to fight and work defensively. There are some shots that didn’t go in for us. It’s just consistent. When we’re in the halfcourt, when we move the ball collectively, and we generate shots for each other, that’s the way we need to play. Opportunities in transition to attack the rim and shoot threes. That’s what we want to do. The last five minutes we were still there. We had a couple of threes rim out. Missed a layup when we could have cut the lead to five, seven, at one point as well.”

“They’re good defensively,” he later continued about Thursday’s opponent. “Any time when we’re able to move the ball and change sides, we’re not attacking a set defense as much. That can contribute to it at times. I think Dallas does a good job, particularly extending up the court with Exum and Jones. Those guys are good, big, long defenders.”

Again, Atlanta were still missing Trae Young, Onyeka Okongwu, and a couple of other bodies for this game. Plus, as the second half of a travel back-to-back against a team on two days’ rest, it was always going to be hard to maintain the legs for 48 full minutes Thursday night.

I wouldn’t delve too deep into the X’s and O’s for this defeat — it’s just one of those games that happen in April. Teams are tired. Teams are banged up. But the Hawks came into this game winners of six of their last seven games, and they still have a solid shot to move above the Chicago Bulls in the standings by season’s end. On to the next one.

Atlanta now flies to Denver for a Saturday game to take on the reigning champion Nuggets, who may see the return of Jamal Murray.

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