Hawks clawed back from 16 down, but a late comeback fell just short against the Bucks, extending their losing streak.
The Atlanta Hawks dropped a fourth consecutive game on Monday, as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Hawks 112-110. The loss drops Atlanta to 20-25, and the Bucks improve to 18-24. This game featured a battle of the 10th (Hawks) and 11th (Bucks) seeds in the Eastern Conference.
The Hawks trailed 112-110 with 11 seconds remaining and had possession as the clock ticked down, but C.J. McCollum was unable to get the shot he wanted. With no timeouts remaining, McCollum lost his dribble as the Bucks crowded him, forcing a one-handed, off-balance attempt that came up short, allowing Milwaukee to survive despite Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s dominant fourth quarter.
Atlanta rallied late and nearly pulled off a 16-point comeback. Alexander-Walker caught fire down the stretch and finished with a game-high 32 points, including five made 3-pointers in the fourth quarter alone. He also knocked down a clutch 3 with 12.6 seconds remaining to pull the Hawks within one.
Alexander-Walker later pointed to a shift in energy as the key to Atlanta’s late push.
“One thing that I did learn and could feel was despite the shots going in or going out, or whatever the game was really giving us, our energy and mentality towards it will change everything,” Alexander-Walker said. “I feel like the game follows the energy.”
Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson carried the scoring load for Atlanta. Johnson added 28 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, continuing his expanded role on both ends. A late 3-pointer by Johnson gave the Hawks a one-point lead with just over two minutes remaining, but the Bucks responded with a Bobby Portis 3-pointer and a Giannis Antetokounmpo layup to regain control and build a five-point cushion late.
Johnson acknowledged the challenge of working through Atlanta’s prolonged shooting struggles.
“I just got to be better moving forward,” Johnson said. “So I don’t hang my head over bad shooting games or none of that, so just keep focusing on what I can control.”
Atlanta’s shooting woes were a defining theme early. The Hawks went more than 23 minutes of game time without making a shot longer than 13 feet and finished the first half just 1-of-22 from beyond the arc, despite consistently generating open looks. Quin Snyder emphasized the importance of staying disciplined during that stretch.
“As a whole team, we were one of 22 from 3 (in the first half),” Snyder said. “We have better shooters than that, but we were getting great looks. It’s really easy when that happens to stop doing the things that got us those shots. You can lose your resolve to keep playing that way.”
Onyeka Okongwu had a game he would like to have back, finishing with four points in 34 minutes. Atlanta also announced during the game that Zaccharie Risacher and Kristaps Porziņģis will miss at least another week. Porziņģis continues to deal with left Achilles tendinitis, while Risacher remains sidelined with a left knee bone contusion. Both players are expected to be reevaluated in about a week.
Atlanta can’t afford many more losses if it wants to stay afloat in the standings, as Milwaukee is now closing ground and the Hawks no longer have much margin for error. The ongoing skid continues to raise questions about the team’s direction under Quin Snyder, as Atlanta once again finds itself fighting for a Play-In spot, this time without Trae Young as a fallback explanation.
It has been a difficult four-game stretch for the Hawks, beginning with losses to the Lakers and Trail Blazers on the road before returning home, where they were blown out by the Celtics on Saturday and followed it with Monday’s narrow defeat.
The struggles at State Farm Arena have continued. Atlanta is now 7-13 at home this season and will need to turn the page quickly with a road matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies coming Wednesday.