With fewer than seven minutes remaining on Thursday evening at State Farm Arena, the Atlanta Hawks trailed by a 124-107 margin to the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks played from behind for much of the night, with the deficit peaking at 21 points in the second half. However, Atlanta was able to flip the script on Chicago with a 32-7 run to turn a 17-point deficit into an eight-point lead, eventually leaning on that spurt to key a memorable victory.
Within the 32-7 run was a 20-0 explosion from the Hawks. Trae Young led the way in that span with 10 points and two assists, and Atlanta generated six consecutive defensive stops while playing flawless offensive basketball. Young and Jalen Johnson combined for 27 points in the fourth quarter, out-scoring the Bulls as a team over that 12-minute period.
All told, the Hawks erupted for 50 points in the closing period, setting a new franchise record for fourth quarter scoring. Atlanta did not devastate Chicago from three-point range down the stretch, but the Hawks were 10-11 on twos and 15-17 at the free throw line with only one single turnover in the final 12 minutes.
Following a relatively dismal offensive showing in the first half as they fell behind by 11 points, the Hawks were near-perfect on offense after halftime. Atlanta finished with a 166.0 offensive rating in the second half, including a 185.2 mark in the 50-point fourth quarter. Though the team’s defense struggled in the third quarter as Chicago buried 10 three-pointers, Atlanta stiffened in the fourth and capped a wild victory at State Farm Arena.
The Hawks entered the evening having lost five of the six previous matchups against the Bulls. After three-plus quarters, it seemed for all the world as if Atlanta simply could not solve Chicago, but the stretch run told otherwise, with the Hawks inching above the .500 mark at 16-15 this season.
