ATLANTA — Despite holding an early lead in the second and third quarter, the Atlanta Hawks lost 125-113 against the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night at State Farm Arena.
After holding a lead as large as 12 points, the Timberwolves climbed back in the scoreboard and took their first lead of the second half towards the end of the third quarter. Once the Wolves gained the lead, the team did a good job of keeping the Hawks off the boards and once they increased their lead to double-digits, the Wolves extended the Hawk’s losing streak.
“You look at championship teams, they just don’t have close games, and when you have a lead, you just separate,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. “You don’t keep it close game. When we have a lead, we don’t know how to separate, and that’s a challenge.”
For the Hawks, the team has now lost seven games and dropped to a 4-13 record, which is tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with the New York Knicks.
“I think once we get a win, just to get a win, a lot of things will be solved, the confidence will be even higher, the understanding of what it took to win that game will carry over to the next,” Lloyd said.
Guard Trae Young led the Hawks with 37 points and nine assists, followed by Jabari Parker who had 22 points and Bruno Fernando, who added 13 points. These three players were the only ones to score double digits for the Hawks, while for Minnesota, the team from the north had five different players reach double digits.
Karl Anthony Towns finished the night with 28 points while Andrew Wiggins scored 25. Towns also added 13 rebounds and eight assists.
In the first half, both teams started hot as there was only one missed shot out of 12 between both teams. But eventually, both teams started to cool down but the Timberwolves started to gather more points off offensive rebounds and from the free throw line.
By the end of the first quarter, the Wolves led 38-30, while having a 10-point lead at one point.
But in the second quarter, the Hawks played what it seemed some of its best basketball of the whole season. Trae Young started to make plays that you only in 2K or even by some All-Stars. By the end of the second quarter, the Hawks led 64-54, a complete turnaround from the first quarter. A 15-4 run in the middle of the second quarter and an 8-1 run to finish the quarter helped the Hawks gain a double-digit lead.
At the half, Young led the Hawks with 21 points and seven assists, Jabari Parker followed with 14 points. Off the bench, Allen Crabbe had seven points, with six of them coming off two 3-pointers. In 12 minutes, Crabbe also contributed with five rebounds.
The Hawks will be back in action Wednesday night when the team will take on the Milwaukee Bucks.
