It was not enough.
The Hawks - try as they might - could not overcome a 24-point first-half deficit in a 115-105 loss to the Clippers Monday night at Philips Arena.
They did get as close as five points, 103-98, with 3:23 remaining. But that was it.
The Hawks (26-19) had a two-game win streak snapped and lost for the third time in the past 14 games.
Kent Bazemore led all five Hawks starters in double figures with 25 points. Dennis Schroder (21), Paul Millsap (19), Dwight Howard (16) and Thabo Sefolosha (11) followed. Howard had a double-double with 12 rebounds. The Hawks bench finished with just 13 points coach Mike Budenholzer relied on his starters for the comeback attempt.
The Clippers (30-16) had a two-game losing streak snapped as they played without injured stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Austin Rivers led the way with a game-high 27 points. Former Hawk Jamal Crawford, who has struggled of late, added 19 points.
The Hawks trailed by 24 points in the third quarter before a 24-8 run cut their deficit to eight points, 79-71. After a miserable shooting first half, the Hawks shot 54 percent in the third quarter to get back in a game that was looking like a blowout. In the quarter, Sefolosha, Schroder and Howard played all 12 minutes, Bazemore played 10 and Millsap played nine.
The Clippers led by as many as 22 points in the first half, holding the significant advantage several times late in the second quarter. The Clippers took a 58-40 lead into halftime as the Hawks scored six points more than their lowest output for any half this season.
The Hawks shot 36 percent in the first quarter and 28 percent in the second quarter. They were a combined 32.5 percent (13 of 40) from the field in the first half.
About the Author
