Hawks fall to Clippers down the stretch in 120-113 loss

The Atlanta Hawks hosted the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night as they looked to build momentum off of a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday evening. The Hawks were unable to pick up a second straight win as they fell to the Clippers by a score of 120-113 in what was a competitive game for the most part.

The Hawks outplayed the Clippers in the opening quarter, shooting 50% from the floor while holding Los Angeles to 39% shooting. Atlanta led 28-22 after the first, but would soon see their lead vanish.

The Clippers dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Hawks 36-25 while shooting 62% from the floor (6-for-10 from three).

Los Angeles led 58-53 at the half, with Paul George leading all scorers with 17 points before the break. The Clippers drilled 10 three-points in the first two quarters, helping fuel them on their way to the lead. Atlanta made just four threes in the first half.

The Hawks and Clippers played a competitive third quarter, with Atlanta trailing by just three points heading to the fourth quarter. While the Hawks tried to make a big push to get ahead, Los Angeles had an answer every time Atlanta got within striking distance in this second half.

The Clippers scored 36 points in the fourth quarter to nail down the win and put any Hawks comeback attempts to rest. The Hawks were scrappy into the final moments but ultimately did not have enough. Trae Young led Atlanta with 31 points and 10 assists in the losing effort, while Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 32 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists.

The Hawks will be back in action on Monday night on the road for a matchup vs. the Portland Trail Blazers.

Stay tuned.