The Hawks are leading the Clippers 51-41 at the half behind the backcourt tandem of Jeff Teague and Lou Williams. Teague has 11 points and five assists, while Williams has added 11 points and four dimes of his own. Josh Smith has been a non-factor after getting two fouls in the first five minutes and spending the rest of the half on the bench. Zaza Pachulia got the starting nod and has nine points and three boards, while Ivan Johnson leads the team with six boards off the bench along with two points.
Atlanta's lead could be much bigger if it weren't for Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. Griffin has 19 points, eight boards, and five assists in the first half and is shooting 8-of-13 from the field. Paul has a modest nine points and three assists, but his activity on the defensive end has gotten him five steals. Both teams have 18 points in the paint and 10 fast-break points, which are keys for the Clippers offense so if the Hawks can continue to match them in those areas they have a great chance to close this game out.