Hawks Chokes in Defeat to Cavs

Atlanta returned to the award-winning State Farm Arena on Saturday, Jan 20. to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, making it the third of four meetings between Atlanta and Cleveland this season and the first meeting between these two teams in Atlanta

Ahead of the matchup Atlanta was coming off a 109-108 win over the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center on Friday Jan 19.  Dejounte Murray knocked down his second-straight game-winning basket, having buried the game-
winning bucket on Jan 17.  against Orlando and connected on the game-winning three-pointer on Jan 19. at Miami. The explosive win against the Heat cracked Miami’s 22-game regular season home winning streak against Southeast Division opponents. Murray became the first Hawk in the play-by-play era to notch back-to-back game-winning buckets.

What had happened was

Off to a slow start and behind double digits, in the final seconds of the 1st quarter the Hawks pushed the pace to trail Cleveland by 5 points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the Half the Hawks trailed the Cavs 45-59.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the end, same story different day the Hawks loss their composure and the Cavs walked away with a 116-95 win.

So where do we even begin?

The Atlanta Hawks have an impeccable ability to choke in the most crucial moments. It’s truly a phenomenon that deserves its own exhibit in the Museum of Sports Misery. With an uncanny consistency, the Hawks manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory time and time again.

One particular instance that comes to mind is the Hawks had an every opportunity to take the lead throughout the game, showcasing their offensive prowess and defensive dominance. But when it mattered most, they crumbled like a stale cookie. It was a heart-wrenching display of missed shots, turnovers, and an overall collapse of composure.

Now, dear readers, let’s not fret, let’s get to the root causes behind these mind-boggling performances. Is it a lack of mental fortitude? Is it an aversion to pressure situations? Or does their strategy simply evaporate when the stakes are high?

The answer is all the above! On a lighter note Dejounte Murray led the team in scoring 24 points.

Up Next: Atlanta is (18-24) and currently 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks head west to meet the Kings on Monday, Jan. 22. Tip off is at 10 PM.