The Portland Trail Blazers ran out of real estate on Wednesday night, falling just short as they tried to reel in the Atlanta Hawks. A strong fourth quarter by Portland cut a double-digit Atlanta lead into a manageable gap, but the Hawks were able to hold on despite stumbling over the final 12 minutes, 92-89.
Blazers Vs. Hawks Final Score: Atlanta Holds Off Portland’s Fourth Quarter Comeback, 92-89
Heading into the fourth, Portland was staring at a 13-point deficit, with the Hawks winning the battle in each of the first three quarters. But as the game drew to a close, the Blazers locked down on the defensive end and found some kind of rhythm on offense, chipping away at the lead along the way. In the end, though, the Blazers were unable to quite get over the hunt, taking a one-point lead for a moment before the Hawks closed them out for the win.
Joe Johnson scored a game-high 24 points in the win for the Hawks. Josh Smith finished with a double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, all on the defensive glass. Jeff Teague and Marvin Williams were also in double-figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Jamal Crawford led Portland with 22 points off the bench in the loss. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points and added 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double.
For more on this game, head over to Blazers Edge, for the Portland side of things, and Peachtree Hoops, for the Atlanta side.
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