NBA scores 2014: The Hawks can win ugly and 3 other things we learned from Monday’s NBA action

The Hawks and Raptors pulled off tough wins against the Bulls and the Magic and an inspired LeBron helped the Cavaliers break a two-game losing streak.

by Jeje Gomez

Dec 16, 2014, 12:56 PM UTC

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

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NBA schedule and results: Hawks top Bulls, Jabari Parker injures his knee

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The Hawks had lost six straight games to the Bulls coming into Monday's meeting in Atlanta. The No. 3 seed in the East was at stake. If the Hawks were to prove to any doubters still out there that they were for real, this was a prime opportunity.

Atlanta got the valuable win, 93-86, but some questions still remain. The Hawks gave the Bulls, missing Joakim Noah, plenty of chances to steal the game. There are two ways to interpret what happened. The positive spin for the Hawks is that they always found an answer when the Bulls got close enough to put the victory in jeopardy. A glass half empty perspective would suggest Atlanta shouldn't have allowed a Chicago team on the second game of a back-to-back and with ineffective nights from Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose to hang around.

Al Horford had his best game of the season, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds six assists and two steals seemingly without jumping even once. Ten players scored for the Hawks and four, including Horford, did so in double digits. Atlanta had 26 assists on 36 field goals and had the edge on free throw attempts and fastbreak points. Those are great, Spurs-y numbers. But the Bulls exposed a serious chink in the Hawks' armor: interior defense and rebounding.

Atlanta has a very versatile starting pair of bigs and three-point shooting off the bench in Mike Scott and Pero Antic (inactive tonight, replaced by a rejuvenated Elton Brand) ready to sub in. Horford and Millsap beat the Bulls' bigs down the floor a few times and drew them out. The downside comes on the other end, where the Bulls had 15 offensive boards to the Hawks' five and had a +15 differential on second chance points that went a long way in keeping them in the game.

Those extra possessions helped offset terrible nights from both the Bulls’ stars and their bench, which combined to shoot 4-of-20 and was outscored 24-11. Had some of the open looks gone in for the Bulls (32.5 percent on uncontested field goal attempts) or had they kept their turnovers in check, the result could have been different, which should bring pause to anyone buying stock on the Hawks as a viable candidate to come out of the East.

There’s still time for Atlanta to address its issues. Horford finding more lift and producing consistently alone could help them in their areas of weakness. Their perimeter defense is very good and they know how to help and swarm opponents on drives. This is still a team that has won nine of the last 10, has continuity on its side and a creative coach that can maximize the strengths of his players.

Anyone expecting a signature win, however, will have to wait. Fortunately the Hawks will have plenty of opportunities to provide one soon, since their next four games are against the Cavaliers, Rockets, Mavericks and Clippers.

3 other things we learned

It's all downhill for the Lakers from now on

There was one great guaranteed moment for the Lakers this season: Kobe Bryant surpassing Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list. He accomplished that against the Wolves on Saturday. The game stopped for him to be acknowledge by a respectful Minnesota crowd and the NBA world paid its respects to the Mamba. On Monday, the very next game, the Lakers lost to the Pacers by 19 after trailing by as much as 39 at one point. The 33-point deficit at the half tied the worst mark since 1960 for the franchise. Kobe finished the game 8-26 from the field. The Lakers' magical moment has past and now it's time to embrace the tank once again.

LeBron is heating up

One of the biggest reasons why the Cavaliers had a disappointing start to the season was the play of LeBron James. LeBron was performing well; just not at the level he had displayed in past years. Well, he's beginning to show why he's arguably still the best player in the league. In the past five games he's averaged 29 points, 8.4 rebounds and five assists on 57.6 percent from the field and 52.0 percent from the three-point line. Against the Hornets on Monday he scored 27, had seven rebounds and 13 assists. James had a similarly slow start when he moved to Miami before finding his comfort zone and leading his team to the finals. Be afraid, Eastern conference. Be very afraid.

The Raptors refuse to give up the top spot in the East

As the Hawks, the Wizards and the Cavaliers continue to rise, the Raptors' reign at the top of the East is threatened. They are missing DeMar DeRozan but Kyle Lowry and Lou Williams are providing enough offense for them to beat weak Eastern Conference foes like the Magic. Lowry and Williams combined for 35 points and 10 assists to lead the Raptors to their third win in a row. After a terrible first half Toronto tightened up its defense, allowing Orlando just 30 second half points. It was a perfect example of the type of gutsy performance the Raptors are making a habit of delivering and what they will have continue to do to keep the top spot until DeRozan returns.

Play of the night

The Suns fought hard to beat the Bucks and snap a five-game losing streak. Markieff Morris gave them a one-point lead with three seconds to go. Then this happened:

Khris Middleton hit the huge shot to win the game and help move the surprising Bucks to above .500. At the very least, it will distract them from the fact that rookie Jabari Parker might have seriously injured his knee.

For the Suns, meanwhile, it was just a devastating loss: