The Atlanta Hawks were finally going to lose. The Portland Trail Blazers led by five points after three quarters and for once the Hawks looked off, unable to capitalize on the lulls and mistakes of an opponent. Then the fourth quarter started. Atlanta flipped a switch. The Hawks went on a 10-2 run to start the final frame before outlasting the Trail Blazers in a back-and-forth flurry to win their 18th straight game, 105-99.
NBA scores 2015: Hawks win 18th straight, and 3 other things we learned Friday
The Atlanta Hawks beat the Portland Trail Blazers for their 18th straight win on a wild night full of upsets, plus three other things we saw Friday.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Once again, it was a team effort for the Hawks. Their three All-Stars were superb. Paul Millsap had 21 points and eight rebounds. Al Horford scored 17 and grabbed eight boards. Jeff Teague had 13 points and eight assists and took over down the stretch. Kyle Korver didn't make the All-Star cut, but continued his historic shooting season, scoring 16 points while going 5-for-7 from the floor.
It was more than the stars who made a difference for the Hawks, though. Fantastic showings off the bench by Kent Bazemore and Mike Scott keyed Atlanta. Bazemore had 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting in 40 minutes, while Scott scored 11 points -- eight of which came in the fourth -- in 14 minutes.
In all, six players scored in double figures for the Hawks. It was the sixth straight game in which at least five Hawks scored in double digits. In the current 18-game winning streak, five players have scored at least 10 points in 14 of those games. With a roster full of capable players and an offense of selfless ball movement, it’s easy for a new hero to emerge every night.
The Trail Blazers had a hero Friday, he just wasn't enough. LaMarcus Aldridge proved his All-Star selection was worthy, scoring 37 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Damian Lillard, on the other hand, struggled the day after he was snubbed from the West's All-Star squad. He had 13 points and 11 assists, but was just 6-for-20 shooting from the field and 1-for-9 from three-point land, all with six turnovers.
On a night that was full of bizarre NBA results, the Hawks continued to do what is expected of them: win. And with the Golden State Warriors losing to the Utah Jazz, the Hawks now have the best record in the NBA.
3 other things we learned
It was an odd, odd night in the NBA. The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Los Angeles Clippers without Anthony Davis. The Utah Jazz led the Golden State Warriors by as many as 19 in a 110-100 win. And the Dallas Mavericks outscored the Miami Heat, 60-27, in the second half of their 93-72 win. It didn't stop there, the Toronto Raptors snuck by the Brooklyn Nets, 127-122, in OT after leading by as many as 17 in regulation and the Houston Rockets scored just nine points in the third quarter but still held on to beat the Boston Celtics, 93-87. Teams have off nights, it's just rare to see so many affected on the same day. Well, everyone except the Hawks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are streaking, too. It's not 18 games in a row, but the Cavaliers have won nine straight after beating the Sacramento Kings, 101-90. They are climbing up the Eastern Conference ranks and looking like the dangerous team they were expected to be when the season started. Kevin Love finally took his turn as the top player of Cleveland's Big Three, scoring 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. LeBron James had 19 points and seven assists on a night when the Cavaliers thoroughly outclassed the Kings. DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and 13 rebounds on the day it was announced he would take Kobe Bryant's spot in the All-Star game, but couldn't keep the Kings close.
The Phoenix Suns aren't going anywhere in the Western Conference playoff picture. A 99-93 win over the Chicago Bulls moved the 28-20 Suns 2.5 games ahead of the Pelicans and four ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final playoff spot in the West. Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe had 21 points apiece to lead the Suns, who led by as many as 16 during the game. The Bulls made it close, but the quick, high-powered offense of the Suns was too much despite a scare from the Bulls in the final minute. The Morris twins were excellent. Markieff had 12 points and 14 rebounds, while Marcus had 12 points and five boards off the bench. The Bulls, meanwhile, continued their inconsistent play amid rumored turmoil between Tom Thibodeau and Bulls ownership. Derrick Rose had 23 points on 8-for-23 shooting and three assists, while Jimmy Butler continued his fantastic season with 22 points and seven rebounds.
Play of the night
Derrick Rose has been making headlines more for his scoring than his passing as of late, but the guy can still distribute. This play happens quickly out of the jump ball. Rose’s court vision and quick thinking can’t be praised enough on this possession. Most impressive, though, is that Jimmy Butler turned that into an alley-oop. Rose zinged the pass toward the bucket and the athleticism of Butler allowed him to snag it out of the air at the exact right moment to slam it home all in one motion.
4 fun things
Scores
76ers 103, Timberwolves 94 (Liberty Ballers recap | Canis Hoopus recap)
Hawks 105, Trail Blazers 99 (Peach Tree Hoops recap | Blazer’s Edge recap)
Rockets 93, Celtics 87 (The Dream Shake recap | Celtics Blog recap)
Cavaliers 101, Kings 90 (Fear the Sword recap | Sactown Royalty recap)
Raptors 127, Nets 122 OT (Raptors HQ recap | Nets Daily recap)
Pelicans 108, Clippers 103 (The Bird Writes recap | Clips Nation recap)
Mavericks 93, Heat 72 (Mavs Money Ball recap | Hot Hot Hoops recap)
Jazz 110, Warriors 100 (SLC Dunk recap | Golden State of Mind recap)
Suns 99, Bulls 93 (Bright Side of the Sun recap | Blog a Bull recap)
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