Here are three things we gleaned from the Hawks' 97-86 triumph over the Bucks, a hard-fought victory that inches Atlanta closer to the frannchise record for seasonal wins (57).
THREE-POINT TAKE
1. Hawks Nation can breathe easy again, knowing their club avoided the first three-game losing slide of the season
The above statement bears a tinge of sarcasm, since Atlanta (44-12, 1st in the East) and Golden State (42-9) are the only NBA teams without a single skid of three or more games -- an amazing feat for the end of February.
What's more, the Hawks, Warriors and Mavericks (37-20) are the only clubs with at least 19 road victories on the year, adding a little more bite to Atlanta's early- afternoon clash with Milwaukee.
(In case you're wondering, the early tip-off time had everything to do with Sunday evening's presentation of The Oscars, TV's most watched non-Super Bowl event of the February sweeps.)
As for the game itself, the Hawks wasted no time in establishing tempo and attitude, holding the Bucks (31-24) to a measly 13 points in the first quarter -- and just 35 for the half.
On the whole, the Hawks' opening five -- led by Paul Millsap's 23 points and 16 rebounds (both game-highs) -- were proficient and prodigious, with each starter logging a positive plus/minus ratio (cumulative score -- plus-37) and accounting for 24 of the Atlanta's 31 points in the decisive final quarter.
Which brings us this: Kyle Korver (12 points, three assists) picked the absolute perfect time to get hot, busting three triples in a two-minute span during the fourth quarter and helping Atlanta seal an outing that had implosion written on it -- just six minutes prior.
2. Strange but true: Paul Millsap's missed bunny in the third quarter might have SAVED the game for Atlanta
Somehow, some way, the Hawks nearly squandered a 15-point advantage in the third quarter alone.
A pair of free throws from Al Horford (15 points, eight rebounds) boosted Atlanta's lead to 50-35; but it went away in a flash, as the shorthanded Bucks (no Michael Carter-Williams -- a pre-deadline trade acquisition) enjoyed their biggest flurry of the night, a 23-10 run that had the Bradley Center fans buzzing.
And then it happened.
With Atlanta up two and under three minutes remaining in the 3rd (60-58), Hawks forward Kent Bazemore executed a backourt steal and dished to Millsap for an easy-breezy layup attempt.
Instead, Millsap somehow lost total control of the ball and missed from 2 feet.
But instead of Milwaukee surrendering a layup ... suddenly it would have a chance to tie the game in transition, immediately after Millsap's miss.
But Bazemore (four points, six rebounds, three assists) swooped in from nowhere to snag the loose-ball rebound, before snapping another clever pass to Millsap, who converted on this layup try -- extending the Hawks' lead to four.
The third quarter would remain tight ... but the Bucks could never get over the hump. And that crazy sequence eventually worked against Milwaukee at home.
As for Millsap, he easily shook off the shock of the blown layup, by recovering in time for the second opportunity.
Just like he has seemingly rebounded from a mini-slump in scoring, dating back to Feb. 8.
Prior to this road victory, Millsap had accounted for only 50 points in his last five games. What's more, Sunday marked the first time since Jan. 3 (against the Blazers) that Millsap had notched 10 or more field goals in a single outing.
As such, Millsap (an unrestricted free agent this summer) has now tallied 12 double-doubles on the season.
3. It remains to be seen whether the Hawks were wise to stand pat for Thursday's trade deadline
Looking at the remaining schedule, Atlanta shouldn't have great difficulty breaking the franchise's all-time mark for victories (57) or reaching the hallowed 60-win plateau before the regular season concludes in mid-April.
However, it's hard to tell if the Hawks should be considered as favorites to win the East crown and advance to the NBA Finals -- beating the likes of Toronto, Cleveland, Chicago and/or Washington.
And here's why: Rebounding and block shots.
The fact that Atlanta was trailing by 32 points against Toronto on Friday wasn't a huge surprise. Not even a big deal.
After all, even the best of teams are due for a home clunker every now and then.
But it was a tad unsettling to see the Raptors dominate the Hawks up front -- winning the rebounding edge by a staggering plus-17 (52-35), attacking the glass with reckless abandon and swatting back nine Atlanta shots overall.
Makes you wonder: If the Utah Jazz called Atlanta last week, hypothetically touting the availability of 22-year-old center Enes Kanter (per-game averages: 13.8 points/7.9 rebounds) ... what would have been the Hawks' immediate response?
Or any other contender from the East?
