Atlanta Hawks end four game losing streak as they edge out Minnesota Timberwolves
The Atlanta Hawks were relieved but giddy after ending their four-game losing streak. Hawks ended a 4-game skid, with a 111-105 win over visiting Minnesota Timberwolves at Philips Arena, Atlanta.
Four players from the Hawks team played their role by scoring points in double digits. A crowd of 12, 027 cheerful fans witnessed a great victory for the Hawks.
Prominent players
Al Horford had 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Hawks in point scoring. Josh Smith added 23 and Joe Johnson contributed 17 points.
Michael Beasley scored 25 for Minnesota and Kevin Love added 22 points and 17 rebounds. Sebastian Telfair scored 18 points and 8 assists.
Shining star
Wolves’ Beasley has scored 42, 35, and, 25 points in the past three games on 43-for-76 shooting and his percentage is 56.6 percent.
Poor performance
Atlanta's Mike Bibby shot just 1-for-4, leaving him 2-for-9 over the past two games with six total points.
Inactive players
Minnesota guard Luke Ridnour missed his fourth straight game with a strained left hamstring, and will be re-evaluated. Wolves Nikola Pekovic and Wayne Ellington were not with the team. Pekovic is suffering from a foot injury and Ellington had a thigh problem.
Hawks’ Combo guard Pape Sy, "Pepsi” and Etan Thomas were invisible at the Hawks end.
Game story
Hawks successfully headed all of the four quarters of the game. Minnesota entered the game leading the National Basketball Association (NBA) in total rebounding percentage (54.0), but the Hawks held a 40-39 edge on the boards.
Minnesota led 17-7 after an 11-0 run, but Atlanta recovered to lead 30-27 at the end of the first period and kept the lead the rest of the game. The Hawks took their biggest lead at 81-64 and led 93-78 before the Wolves closed the deficit with a string of
three 3-pointers.
Corey Brewer's 3 cut the lead to 97-93, but after a timeout by the coach, the Hawks recovered with two quick baskets by Smith and Joe Johnson and two free throws by Horford for a 103-92 lead.
Minnesota outscored the Hawks 33-28 in the final period but could not overcome 21 turnovers.
Turning point
In the first 4:03 of the game, Kevin Love scored eight points as the Wolves took a 17-7 lead, but over the final 43:51, Love scored 14 points.
Quotable
“They outhustled us. They got second-chance points and rebounds and stuff like that,'' `But our problem tonight was, between me and Kevin and Beasley, we had 15 turnovers. Moreover, we are the guys that have the ball in our hands the whole game. That should
not happen. Not for us to win”, said Minnesota's Sebastian Telfair.
Hawks coach Larry Drew said, "We have to continue to be a blue-collar team that has a mentality of securing the rebound and going back the other way".
Up next
No doubt, Hawks will receive a confidence boost from the win and play the upcoming match against Pacers on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at Conseco Field house, Indianapolis with full energy.
Wolves are going to play its next match against Bobcats on Monday, November 15, 2010 at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, with a hope and spirit to make a great come back.
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