The Hawks are only .500 since their scorching 19-game winning streak, and last night’s loss to Boston is the worst one yet. Evan Turner hit a game-winner over DeMarre Carroll and Kent Bazemore with 0.2 seconds remaining and you can feel the air seeping out of Atlanta’s first-half domination of the East.
Atlanta’s winning streak ended in New Orleans in their first game of February (after becoming the first team in NBA history to go 17-0 in a month), and since then they’ve beaten the West’s top squad in the Warriors and fell to the West’s second-best when the Grizzlies took them in Memphis.
Turner’s game-winner didn’t require a Sully butt dime this time, either. He just ended up swishing a baby sky-hook.
Both the Pellies — with a healthy Anthony Davis — and a road loss to the Grizzlies after the emtional home win over the Dubs, were losses ATL could live with. Dropping one to the C’s before they send four players and coach Mike Budenholzer to the All-Star Game is a dreadful way to end their impressive first-half of the season.
Get ready for Twitter to trumpet ATL’s slide and jump off the bandwagon if they come out of the break slow, too.
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