Hawks vs Trail Blazers

Tim Frazier was the first to score after five combined shot attempts from both teams. The game was off to a slow start as Al Horford was called for a foul causing a three-point play with Noah Vonleh. The Hawks finally got on the board with a goal tend call against Mason Plumlee. They trailed the Blazers by three with under nine minutes left. Paul Millsap posted up strong against Al-Farouq Aminu and drew the foul to bring the Hawks within one. Kent knocked down the three to give the Hawks a two-point lead. Portland went hard on the offensive boards to give them second opportunity shots. Hawks crowded the paint to create a turnover and were off to a 5-0 run. Kent slammed it off of the no-look pass from Thabo as the Hawks went up 5 (2:15). A Thabo three off of a pass from Tiago under the bucket and the offense was flowing. Hawks led 26-17 at the end of 1the first quarter, all the while shooting 9/19 from the field. Thabo and Paul with 6 each.

Hawks would take off in the beginning of the second quarter as offense flowed and Mike Scott knocked down a three. But the Blazers were right there answering with a three of their own. Dennis' quickness proved to be his strength as he drove to the bucket and increased the lead by 8 (8:05).  Maurice Harkless scored five straight as the Trail Blazers would trail 40-35 with 6:07 left in the first half. Plumlee lobbed it to Harkless for the dunk. Thabo with great defense that led to a steal and three-point opportunity (he did not convert). Thabo's contribution of ten points gave the Hawks the boost they needed to stay ahead of the Blazers. Kent Bazemore with a chasedown block on Allen Crabbe and he was called for a foul…but Crabbe missed both free throws. Offense was flowing as the Hawks went on a 15-4 run to end the first half. They headed to the locker room leading the Blazers 55-43.

Plumlee went on a 4-2 run against the Hawks to start the third quarter. A scary moment happened as it appeared Paul Millsap rolled his ankle. He was replaced by Mike Scott as he headed to the locker room. Hawks started settling for jumpshots after the Blazers made it an 8-point game (8:25). But Jeff recognized his matchup and zoomed around Plumlee to lay it in. Jeff drove and then passed the ball behind his back to Al on the perimeter who passed it to Kent for the three ball. Hawks went up 12. Paul Millsap returned to the bench after his ankle tweak. Gerald Henderson scored off of the pick -and-roll and the Hawks' lead was down to 10. Dennis followed with a baseline drive and the Hawks went up 70-56 with under two minutes left in the third. Dennis ended the quarter with a buzzer-beating deep three to put the Hawks up 77-58.

The quarter where Dennis lost his tooth, the final quarter. It didn't slow him down as he knocked down a three to put the Hawks up 85-64. Henderson answered with a three of his own. Crabbe tried to make it a game as the Hawks wouldn't convert on their possessions, their lead was down to 12 with 2:36 left in the game. Aminu hit a three to bring the Hawks' lead down to 9, but he fouled Paul on the other end and the Blazers were over the limit. Hawks won their fourth straight, beating the Blazers 106-97.