The Atlanta Hawks found themselves in another tight game after losing against the Milwaukee Bucks two nights ago. This time, the Hawks were up against the Indiana Pacers, and in the final minutes, they were able to walk away with the win, 124-118.
It was Georges Niang who came up big for the Hawks, scoring 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and knocking down back-to-back threes to help give them a small cushion down the stretch. The Hawks are still finding chemistry with the new guys on the team, but there have been some good moments, and Niang acknowledged the growth.
“This coaching staff doesn’t get enough credit because it’s not like this everywhere where you can just implement guys seamlessly and find production,” Niang said. “You look at all the games we’ve lost, yes they’re losses, but we’re not getting blown out. Nobody is happy about that, but gelling takes time. It’s not lightning in a bottle. Like Trae said, I really feel like we’re finding our niche and I’m excited to see what the rest of March looks like.”
Trae Young also sees the growth that they’re building within the unit and thinks they’re real close to figuring it out.
“You definitely see the moments, and you feel the connectivity on the court with each other when we play, but it’s not going to be perfect right now, and luckily, we still have some games to go to find the rhythm with each other and try to string some wins in a row, and try to find a rhythm at the right time,” Young said.
“We’ve been playing real well with each other and starting to find a rhythm, especially Caris [LeVert] and Georges, and even Terance [Mann]. We got a long way to go, but we’re right there,” Young continued.
Hawks finish fourth quarter strong in win against Pacers
The Hawks were down numerous times throughout the game, but they always found a way to get back in it. The Pacers threw numerous defenses at them, but it never fazed them. Myles Turner was at the free-throw line to put the Pacers up 102-101 with 5:55 remaining, and Georges Niang and Tyrese Haliburton had a friendly back-and-forth on the sideline. The Hawks came down on the offensive end, Niang hit a three, and coming down on defense, he gave Haliburton a stare.
The Hawks then got a stop on defense, and Niang came down to hit another big three to put the team up 107-102. From there, they didn’t surrender the lead and came out with the win.
“I enjoy my moments on the court and trash-talking is something that I grew up on,” Niang said after the game. “Not to say I’m going to be one of those people that’s like ‘Yeah it’s his fault.’ That’s not how I operate. Just friendly banter, and unfortunately for him, we went on a run after that.”
As the Hawks try to climb up the standings and push for the playoffs, these are the types of games that they’re going to have to win. With the team starting to find a rhythm and the new guys clicking, this stretch run will be critical for them.
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