KettleCast

The Hawks opened their 2022-2023 season with a home win against the Houston Rockets. Forrest talks about the Hawks best performers and looks ahead to the Hawks next game against the Orlando Magic.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks fall 96-98 to the Philadelphia 76ers in Atlanta. The Hawks take a 9 point lead into the fourth quarter but are only able to muster 9 points in the final period. Joel Embiid carries the 76ers with 28 points, including the final 2 over Clint Capela, and 12 rebounds. Trae Young has ANOTHER double double, 25 points and 10 assists. The Hawks have ZERO assists in the 4th quarter and fall to 12-11 on the season. They face the Charlotte Hornets next.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks go into Indiana on the second night of a back-to-back and get a tough 114-111 win over the Pacers. Trae continues his strong play with 33 points and 10 assists. Kevin Huerter has 19 points, the Hawks are a game high +22 with JC on the court, and the Hawks are able to survive a furious comeback from the Pacers.Malcolm Brogdan leads the Pacers with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals. Sabonis and Turner combine for 39 points and 19 rebounds, but it isn't enough as the Hawks scorch the Pacer from deep. The Hawks have four players hit 3 three pointers on the way to a 16 of 33 night from the perimeter.The Hawks face the 76ers on Friday.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks fall 90-99 to the New York Knicks. Trae Young carries the Hawks, scoring 33 points and dropping 7 assists, but the Hawks cannot hit the broadside of a barn. The Atlanta basketball team shoots just 35.5% from the field, 24.3% from three, and are not able to muster the offense to knock off the Knicks.The Knicks get great contributions from Alec Burks(23 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists), Evan Fournier (20 points and 2 rebounds), R. J. Barrett (15 points and 7 boards), and Obi Toppin. Toppin provided a monster dunk in the 3rd quarter that was sure to make his father, Dunker's Delight, proud.The Hawks face the Pacers on Wednesday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks score 105 points through 3 quarters and beat the Grizzlies 132 - 100. A monster 3rd quarter - 43 points on 17/24 shooting from the Hawks compared to 18 points on 4/20 shooting from the Grizzlies - built the lead to over 40 points. The Grizzlies third team would cut the lead down to under 25 points in the 4th quarter before the Hawk would finish this one off.Trae Young had 31 points and 10 assists, Clint Capela had 23 points and 17 boards, and John Collins had 21 points on just 11 shots.The Griz lost their star point guard, Ja Morant, just 8 minutes into the contest. The Memphis offense never got going after that.The Hawks face the Knicks on Saturday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks make it 6 straight wins by going into San Antonio and beating the Spurs 124 - 106. Trae Young is spectacular with 31 points and 11 assists as eight Hawks players score double digits. Bogdan looks more like his old self with 18 points, John Collins has another explosive alley oop finish (this time from Lou Williams), and Cam Reddish continues his strong play off the bench.Dejounte Murray has 22 points and 11 assists, 13 of those points coming in the first quarter. Bryn Forbes scores 23 points off the bench but back to back 38 point quarters from the Hawks is too much for San Antonio.HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!The Hawks play at the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks use  an awesome 3rd quarter to get a 113-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Trae goes for 30 points and 6 assists and JC has 11 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, AND 5 blocks. The Hawks hold the Thunder to just 11 3rd quarter points after giving up 60 in the first half.The Hawks face the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks get a big performance, and a big block, from their man in the middle Clint Capela. Capela piles up 20 points, on 10-11 shooting, and 15 rebounds in just under 24 minutes of actions. Six Hawks score double digits and Cam and Kevin hit big three pointers at the end as the Hawks get a big 115-105 win over the Hornets.Miles Bridges has 35 points and 10 board and LeMelo Ball has his second career triple-double (15 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) but the Hornets comeback falls short. The Hawks play the Thunder on Monday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks get their third win in a row with a 110-99 victory over the Celtics. Kevin Huerter has four first quarter three pointers on the way to a 19 point performance. Cam Reddish does a little bit of everything with 19 points of his own and three steals off the bench. Trae has a double double, 18 points and 11 assists, and JC has 20 points and 11 rebounds for a double double of his own.The Celtics get 34 points from Jayson Tatum and 18 from Grant Williams. Former Hawks Al Horford and Dennis Schroder also chip in with 28 points combined.The Hawks play the Hornets on Saturday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks move to 6-9 on the season behind 23 points, 6 boards, and 3 assists from John Collins and get the 129-111 win over the Orlando Magic.Cole Anthony poured in 29 points and had 11 assists on his father's, Greg Anthony, birthday, but a balanced scoring effort from the Hawks put the Magic away. Four Hawks starters scored 20 plus points and Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams were also fantastic off the bench.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

After a tough road trip, the Hawks played the reigning NBA Champion Bucks at home. Trae Young put on a wonderful show for So So Def night - 42 points, 10, assists, and 8 rebounds.The Hawks were without De'Andre Hunter and Kevin Huerter started in his place. Red Velvet would score 11 points, including 6 in the third quarter that helped the Hawks hold onto the double digit buffer they had built in the first half. The Hawks would close out the champs with a score of 120 - 100.COME JOIN THE KETTLE

The Hawks play their best basketball of the season in the third quarter by building a 12 point lead over the Suns. The Atlanta Basketball team follows that up with one of their worst quarters so far and the Suns are able to get a 121-117 win over the Hawks.Trae Young has 31 points and 13 assists and John Collins has a double double as well (26 points and 10 boards) but it isn't enough as Devin Booker goes for 38 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals and Chris Paul has 16 points and 13 assists. Frank, the tank, Kaminsky chips in with 16 points off the bench.The Hawks face the Warriors next.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

Jordan Clarkson explodes for 30 points and the Jazz use a 41 point fourth quarter to beat the Hawks 116 -98. Trae score 21 points and slings 7 assists and Dre Hunter has 14 points on 9 shots but Rudy Gobert, also known as the Stifle Tower, helps the Jazz own the boards - 46 rebounds to 32 from the Hawks.The Hawks face the Suns in Phoenix next.COME JOIN THE KETTLE! 

The Hawks fall 108-117 to the Brooklyn Nets in Brooklyn. De'Andre Hunter explodes for 26 points and hits all six of his three pointers but it is not enough as Kevin Durant goes for 32 points. KD gets a lift from Joe Harris, 18 points on six three pointers, and James Harden, 16 points and 11 assists. The Hawks are able to keep the game respectable but could not make any big push to try and lead late.The Hawks are at home to face the Jazz before heading on a four game road trip.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks get back to the style of basketball that made them so much fun last season and avenge an earlier loss against the Wizards. Trae had 26 points and 6 assists, JC ties a career high with 6 assists, and Bogie joins in on the dimes tossing 6 of them himself. The Hawks use a massive first quarter to build a lead and go on to win 118-111.The Hawks play the Nets on Wednesday.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks fall to the Wizards 111-122 as the Hawks are unable to build off their win over the Pelicans. Four of the five Wizards starters go for 20+ points and the Hawks have multiple technical fouls called against them. The Hawks fall to 3-2 on the season despite outscoring the Wizards in the paint, in fastbreak points, and shooting a better percentage from the field. The Hawks face the 76ers in Philadelphia next.Come Join the Kettle!

Trae Young scores 31 points and has 7 assists and Delon Wright helps lead the bench mob as the Hawks escape an early deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans. John Collins gets in early foul trouble again but is able to control the boards (12 rebounds, 7 offensive) and have a massive putback dunk late to help the Hawks get the 102-99 win.Brandon Ingram had 20 points and Devonte Graham was spectacular from deep - hitting 5 of 10 triples - but Ingram could not hit the last shot with under two seconds to go as the Pelicans fall to 1-3 to start the season.The Hawks face the Washington Wizards in D.C. next.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

John Collins reintroduces himself as the Baptist with two MASSIVE alley oops and the Hawks use some great rebounding to get a 122 - 104 win over the Detroit Pistons.Trae Young has 32 points and 9 assists, JC adds 22 points and 7 rebounds, and Cam Reddish continues his strong play with 17 points off the bench and a dunk of his own.The Hawks face the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks go up to Cleveland and let a 25-2 run that spans the 2nd and 3rd quarters doom them to a 95-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Ricky Rubio scores 23 points to go with 8 assists as 6 Cavaliers score double digits. Trae Young finished with 24 points but just 7 assists. The Hawks were outscored 31-17 in the 3rd quarter.The Hawks are back Monday night to play the Detroit Pistons.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!!

The Hawks are BACK!The Hawks get a 113-87 win to start the 2021-2022 season! Cam Reddish has 20 points off the bench, the defense combines for 9 blocks, and Trae Young has 14 assists (as part of an 19 point double double) as the Hawks open their season with a dominating performance on national television.On night where Dominique Wilkens is honored as part of the NBA's 75 greatest players, the Hawks avenge two losses to the Mavericks at State Farm Arena.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

In Part 2 Ben talks about his contributions to the Stepbacks "Top 25 Under 25", his expectations for the Hawks this season, and thoughts on the NBA as it heads into the 2021-2022 season.COME JOIN THE KETTLE

In Part 1 of 2 Ben Ladner, from the Read and React Podcast, comes onto the KettleCast to talk the Hawks surprise playoff run, the Hawks 2021-2022 offseason, and can the Hawks have too much depth.

Cam Reddish is magnificent off the bench, with 21 points and tough defense, but it is not enough to lift the Hawks past the Bucks.Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton combine for 49 points, and Jeff Teague scores 11 off the bench for the Bucks. The Bucks get a 118-107 win and a 4-2 series win.

The Bucks take a 3-2 series lead with a 123-112 win over the Hawks. Both teams were missing their stars and Brook Lopez shined with 33 points. Four Bucks starters go for 20+ and the Hawks are never able to get a lead as the series shifts back to Atlanta on Saturday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks are without Trae Young for game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Lou Williams steps in and delivers an absolutely wonderful game with 21 points and 8 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic breaks out of his slump for 20 points and the Hawks are able to run the Bucks out of State Farm Arena and tie the series at 2.The Bucks suffer a brutal injury as 2-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextends his knee in the 3rd quarter. Jrue Holiday scores 19 points and has 9 assists but both he and Khris Middleton have 4 turnovers. The Bucks bench is outscored 24-35 as the Hawks get the big 110-88 win.The series continues on Thursday for Game 5 in Milwaukee.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Bucks take a 2-1 series lead behind 20 fourth quarter points from Khris Middleton. The Hawks start the game with a 15-2 run and build a 15 point lead before the Bucks are able to close the gap to 5 after the first. The Bucks would get the 113-102 win on a massive 25-7 run in the final quarter.Trae Young had an awesome game with 35 points and 4 assists. It looked like he might be on his way to another 40 point performance but he rolled his ankle stepping on the foot of an official.The Hawks and Bucks meet up for Game 4 in Atlanta on Tuesday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Bucks blow out the Hawks 125-91 to even the Eastern Conference Finals at 1-1. Game 3 is in Atlanta on Sunday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

Trae Young drops 48 points as the Hawks once again start a series with a Game 1 win. The Hawks are able to take a 1 point lead with 30 seconds left in the game and hold on. John Collins punishes the Bucks for 23 points and 15 rebounds and Clint Capela has a double double as well with 12 points and 19!!! rebounds.The Bucks get 34 points from their 2-time MVP Antetokoumpo and 33 from Jrue Holiday. Poor shooting from deep dooms the Deer as neither Pat Connaughton nor Kris Middleton are able to connect from three to tie the game at the end.Game 2 of the series is Friday in Milwaukee.COME JOIN THE KETTLE

Ronald Threesly, K'Von, or Red Velvet - whatever you want to call Kevin Huerter just know that he is going to score. The 3rd year players scored 27 points and carried the Hawks on a night where Trae could not find his shot. The Hawks went into the number one seed's house for a winner take all game and won.The Hawks had a balanced attack as five players scored double digits. Whether it was Gallo off of the bench, Clint finishing Trae's lobs, or JC cleaning up on the glass (he would finish with 16 rebounds) the Hawks put together enough to outlast the Sixers and get a series win with a 103-96 win.The Sixers slugged it out with the Hawks, there were 20 lead changes, but could not retake the lead in the second half of the fourth quarter. Embiid was huge again - 31 points and 11 rebounds- but he also had 8 turnovers. Despite the fact the Sixers were about to win on the fastbreak, out scoring the Hawks 23 to 12 in transition, turnovers allowed the Hawks to hang around.The Hawks will start the EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS on Wednesday in Milwaukee against the Bucks.COME JOIN THE KETTLE! 

The Hawks finally get off to a good start and have a four point lead at halftime. It falls apart as Seth Curry again torches the Hawks with 11 of his 24 points in the third. The Sixers use a 14-0 run start of the second half to build a lead they would never relinquish.Trae Young and Danilo Gallinari hit big shots to keep the Hawks close, and a Trae triple with 2 minutes left would bring the Hawks within one. The Hawks could never get over the hump as the Sixers tied the series at three and send it back to Philadelphia for game seven on Sunday.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks seize a 3-2 series lead with a dramatic 109-106 win over the 76ers. Stop me if this sounds familiar - the Hawks get down big early, 26 points in the first half, but are able to get enough stops and get shots to fall to get the win over the Sixers.Lou Williams has 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to pace the Hawks to a 40 point quarter. Trae also has 13 in the fourth - Young would finish with 39 points, 7 assists, 3 steals, and just 2 turnovers.The 76ers got monster performances from Joel Embiid and Seth Curry. In fact no other Sixer scored from the field in the second half. Embiid finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists. Seth kept the 76ers ahead for as long as he could, finishing with 36 points on 13/19 shooting. In the end the Hawks got the win they were looking for and head back to State Farm Arena hoping to close out the Sixers on Friday.COME JOIN THE KETTLE! 

The Hawks get a big 103-100 win over the 76ers to even the second round series at two games apiece. The Hawks use a balanced attack as all five starters score double digits. John Collins lights up State Farm Arena with three massive putback slams in the third quarter as the Hawks get back into the game after being down by as many as 18 points in the second quarter.The Hawks put Kevin Huerter into the starting lineup in place of Solomon Hill and the Sixers replaced the injured Danny Green with Furkan Korkmaz.The series continues on Wednesday in Philadelphia.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Sixers take a 2-1 series lead in game 3 behind a balanced scoring attack of Embiid, Simmons, Curry, Harris, and Korkmaz. The 76er bench also beat the Hawks bench 48 -32, matching the 16 point win 127-111.Trae scored 28 points and dished 8 dimes, the Baptist had his best game of the series with 23 points and 7 boards, but the Hawks' slow start shooting the ball put them in an early deficit they could not escape.The series continues on Monday in Atlanta.COME JOIN THE KETTLE

The Hawks fall in Game 2 102 -118 to the 76ers. The Sixers get a huge lift off the bench from Shake Milton and Joel Embiid has 40 points as well. The Hawks get their own lift off the bench, Danilo Gallinari and Kevin Huerter combine for 41 points, but the Sixers run to start the fourth quarter is enough to even this series at 1 game a piece.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

It got tight at the end of the game, but the Hawks are able to get a 128 - 124 win in Philadelphia to take a 1-0 series lead. The Hawks stun the 76ers and their crowd with a 42 point first quarter. The Sixers are able to get within 2 points with 10 seconds to go, but a couple of clutch free-throws from Bogdan put the game out of reach.Trae Young continues his excellent play, putting up 35 points and 10 assists against the staunch 76er defense. He got help from JC (21 points on 7 of 9 shooting) and Bogdan (21 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assist). Red Velvet had a couple of incredible assists late - finding Bogi for a triple and a streaking John Collins for a clear path foul.The 76ers got a fantastic night from their MVP candidate Joel Embiid. Though he was clearly hampered on his injured right knee, the big man put up 39 points and pulled down 9 boards.Game 2 of this series is on Tuesday in Philly before it shifts to Atlanta.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks claim a 4 -1 series win over the Knicks with a 103 - 89 win in New York. Trae Young is fantastic with 36 points and 9 assists, Clint Capela backs up his trash talk with 14 points and 15 boards, and DeAndre Hunter has his best performance in the playoffs with 15 points, an assist, a steal, and a block.The Knicks have their best shooting performance from the perimeter, shooting 12 of 30 from deep. It is not enough as they are out scored 51 to 42 in the second half.The Hawks will face the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

Danilo Gallinari has a monster game, 21 points (on 6 of 9 shooting) and 4 rebounds, off the bench for the Hawks. The Hawks use that performance and a strong second half to knock off the Knicks in Game 4 of the first round. The Knicks got solid games from their top three players, Randle had 23  points and 10 boards, Rose had 18 points and 6 assists, and RJ Barrett was solid with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. It did not matter as Trae Young got going, 27 points and 9 assists, and John Collins had his best game of the series.The Hawks grab a 3-1 series lead as the series goes back to New York for Game 5 on Wednesday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks - Knicks series shifts to Atlanta and the Hawks get a huge 105 - 94  win in State Farm Arena. The Hawks get a balanced scoring effort with 7 players scoring in double digits and limit the Knicks to 36% shooting to claim a 2 - 1 series lead. Derrick Rose continues to be a thorn in the side of the Hawks as he scored 30 points and almost single handedly kept the Knicks in the game. Rose did not get much help as Most Improved Player Julius Randle scored 14 and RJ Barrett scored 7. A 22-3 run at the end of the 2nd quarter for the Hawks built a 14 point lead at halftime and the Hawks were able to hold onto the lead for the rest of the game.Game 4 of the series is Sunday at 1 pm in State Farm Arena.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Knicks make a big change at halftime by starting Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson. The Knicks turn a 13 point deficit into a 9 point win behind some hot shooting and solid defense. The Hawks get another sterling performance from Trae, 30 points and 7 assists, but foul trouble for John Collins and cold shooting from deep doom the Birds.The teams meet again for Game 3 in Atlanta on Friday.COME JOIN THE KETTLE! 

Let's have some fun and look at the nickname matchup in this first round series.Nickname Matchup: Hawk-Names vs Knick-NamesThe 4-5 matchup in the East should be one of the most compelling series in the first round of the playoffs. Playoff basketball is always decided by the individual matchups. Everyone knows the statistics – points, rebounds, assists – but there is more to these matchups than that. Who has the best nicknames - the Hawks or the Knicks?Enough about the past. Let’s look at the nickname matchups for this series. We will start with the starters.Point GuardThe Hawks are helmed by “Ice” Trae Young. Not only is this a strong nickname but Trae has also adopted shivering after big shots bringing the nickname to life. Ryan Cameron punctuates each of the point guard’s deep triples with “TRAE-T-L for THREEEEEE!”. The Knicks have started Elfrid “Elf” Payton for the whole season. The shorthand nickname “Elf” does not instill fear into any opponent. In fact, it makes you think of Will Ferrell movie character. Advantage Hawks. Shooting GuardAt shooting guard, Bogdan Bogdanovic is going against Reggie Bullock. Bogdanovic, in his first season with the Hawks, is best known as “Bogey”, a smooth nickname for a leading man. His distinctive name and his lights out shooting ability have led to another nickname, “Bangdanovic!” Reggie Bullock has no nickname at all. Advantage Hawks.Small ForwardThe Hawks are happy to have De’Andre Hunter back for the playoffs. Much like his quiet demeanor, De’Andre has not had many nicknames. At UVA, he was known as “Big Game Hunter”, which is reminiscent of Laker great “Big Game” James Worthy. In Atlanta, it was initially reported De’Andre was given the nickname “Megatron” by John Collins and some coaches for being so strong. Hunter later corrected this saying that the real nickname was “Optimus”. For the Knicks, R.J. Barrett has been widely heralded at every stage of his career and has picked up multiple monikers. In a comparison to Kobe, R. J. has been called “The Maple Mamba” because he is from Canada. He has been called “Headband Ro” because his first name is Rowan, “Duke of York” which combines his collegiate and professional teams, and Star J, a clever play on his initials. Advantage Knicks.Power ForwardJohn “JC” Collins’ nicknames have referred to his dunking ability with a religious flair - the “Dunkin’ Deacon” and the fan favorite “John the Baptist.”  Julius Randle has had a ridiculous year- even getting some MVP buzz. His astonishing improvement has made his less than flattering nicknames, “BeyBlade”, truly obsolete. Randle’s other nickname is “Orange Julius.” While a marked improvement, a nickname based on a chain of retail juice stores is no match for a nickname based on a Biblical holy man. Advantage Hawks.CenterThe center match up features a pair of defensive-minded players, Clint Capela and Nerlens Noel. Their nicknames refer to landmarks and are in the lineage of defensive superstar and Hall of Fame inductee “Big Ben” Wallace. Noel’s defense has garnered him the clever nickname “Nerlen Wall” for protecting the basket. Capela, the Hawks big man from Switzerland, similarly has been dubbed “The Swiss Bank”. Advantage Knicks.Now for the reserves.  Advantage Hawks.Certainly, this series will be decided on the court, but looking only at nicknames, the Hawks lead 4-2. I am taking this as a good omen.

The Hawks win game one of their match up with the Knicks in dramatic fashion as Trae Young hits a floater with .9 seconds left. The 107-105 score is indicative of just how close this game was. Both teams hit 42 shots, 11 free throws, and scored 50 points in the paint. The difference would come from behind the arc as the Hawks hit 12 of 34 attempts from deep to the Knicks 10 of 30.Trae shined in his playoff debut, scoring 32 points, dishing 10 assists, grabbing 7 boards, and hitting the game winner. The raucous crowd at MSG greeted the 3rd year player out of Oklahoma to start the game, but it was Trae who had the last laugh - shushing the 15 thousand plus after draining the go ahead bucket. These teams meet again on Tuesday for Game 2. 

Despite the postseason standings being set, the Hawks power past the Rockets 124-95 to get their 41st win on the season. Onyeka Okongwu has his best performance of the season, 21 points and 15 boards, and DeAndre Hunter gets his first extended run since coming off of injury, 14 points, 2 rebounds, and a block in 24 minutes of play.The Rockets got a usual Hawks' hating performance from D.J. Augustin, 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, and 16 points from Kelly Olynk.The Hawks have a week off before facing the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks double their win total, from 20 to 40, with a resounding 116-93 win over the Orlando Magic. The Hawks starters help build a 30 point lead in the third quarter and Coach McMillan is able to clear his bench in the fourth as the Hawks move one step closer to clenching home court in the first round of the playoffs.Bogdan Bogdanovic continues his hot shooting with 27 points including 4 three pointers, JC hits 4 three pointers as well, and Trae has 18 points and 7 assists in 26 mins.The Magic got 18 points from R.J. Hampton and a double double, 12 points and 11 boards, from Atlanta's own Wendell Carter, Jr.The Hawks face the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena on Sunday for their final regular season game.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks clinch a top six seed in the Eastern Conference, ensuring they do not have to play in the Play-In Tournament. The Wizards did not make it easy, building a 13 point lead in the fourth quarter. The Hawks finally are able to get some three point shots to fall, and a triple from John Collins with under a minute to go in the game gives the Hawks a lead they would hold on to. The 120-116 win pushes the Hawks record to 39-31.The Wizards got 34 points and 15 assists from Russell Westbrook and 16 points off the bench from Daniel Gafford. Davis Bertan's tying three pointer bounced off the rim.The Hawks got strong play from Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins and Clint Capela. They play the Orlando Magic on Thursday.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks hold onto a 125-124 win over the Washington Wizards to move to 38-31 on the season. The Wizards get a triple double from Russell Westbrook, 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 21 assists, but Westbrook cannot bury the final shot in the Hawks win.Trae Young and John Collins combine for 64 points, 14 boards, 9 assists, and 2 blocks and Bogdan Bogdanovic continues his hot shooting with 25 points on 8/17 shooting (7/12 from deep).The two teams will play again in Atlanta on Wednesday.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

A slow start in the first half, and some poor defense, puts the Hawks in a 14 point hole to start the 2nd. The Hawks fight back but ultimately fall 126-133 to the Pacers.Caris LeVert, Domatas Sabonis, and TJ McConnell led the way for the Pacers. LeVert and Sabonis scored 31 and 30 respectively while TJ had four steals and 19 points off the bench.Trae had 30 and Bogdanovic had 28 but the Hawks could never get over the hump in the 4th quarter. The Hawks fall to 37-31 and now get three days off before facing the Wizards at State Farm Arena.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks ride their bench to a 135-103 win over the Phoenix Suns to move to 37-30 on the season. Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams both have 16 points and Onyeka Okongwu has his best performance as a Hawk with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks.Coming off an overtime win in Cleveland, the Sun played a tough first half. A 16-0 run to start the fourth quarter would doom the Suns. Devin Booker had 30 points on 11/20 shooting and Mikal Bridges had 18 points.The Hawks play at the Pacers next.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks ride hot shooting from deep, 20 of 41, to beat the Blazers 123-114 in Atlanta.The Hawks got flame throwing performances from Bogdan Bogdanovic, 25 points and 7 three pointers, and Danilo Gallinari, 28 points and 7 threes off the bench. The Blazers countered with Damian Lillards scoring 33 points and CJ McCollum dropping 20, but it wasn't enough. The Hawks out scored the Blazers 45-33 from the bench.Carmelo Anthony moved to 10th on the NBA's All Time Scoring list, chipping in 14 points to raise his career total to 27,318.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks move to 35-30, and clinch a spot in the play-in tournament at least, with a 108-97 win over the Bulls at State Farm Arena. Trae Young powers the Hawks in the first half on the way to a 33 point and 7 assist night as Clint Capela has a monster 2nd half and finishes with 20 points and 11 rebounds.The Bull were without Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, but used a 37 point 2nd quarter to take a 9 point lead into the half. They would only score 34 in the 2nd half. Rookie Patrick Williams scored 19 points and noted Hawk hater Thaddeus Young had 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.The Hawks face the Portland Trailblazers on Monday night.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!

The Hawks get Trae Young back from injury and Trae has 32 points and 4 assists in 28 minutes. Unfortunately for the Hawks the 76ers control the paint, outscoring the Hawks 68 to 42 from close range. Philly would go on to win 126-104. Dwight Howard comes off the Philadelphia bench to score 19 points and grab 11 rebounds as the 76ers take a 2 game sweep of the Hawks.

The Hawks get blown out 83-127 in Philadelphia. The Hawks are without Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, Tony Snell, DeAndre Hunter, and Cam Reddish and the 76ers take advantage. The Philly onslaught in transition began in the first quarter and continued the whole game. The Hawks face the 76ers again on Friday.COME JOIN THE KETTLE!