The Chicago Bulls led the Atlanta Hawks 108-87 with just over a minute left in the third quarter on Thursday. There’s no such thing as an insurmountable lead in the NBA , but 21 points in the closing minutes of the third is about as close as it gets. At the time, ESPN’s odds gave the Bulls a 99.2 percent chance of winning the game.
But the Hawks managed to come back, and it took a historic effort.
The Hawks came back full force, winning 141-133 thanks to an incredible 50-point performance in the fourth quarter. In addition to scoring 50 points, they committed just one turnover in the fourth inning. In the process, the Hawks became the first team in the play-by-play era, dating back to the 1997-98 season, to score 50 points with one turnover or fewer in the final frame of a game.
The key play began with 5:31 left in the fourth quarter. A Jevon Carter bucket gave the Bulls a 126-110 lead, and another near-certain victory. The Bulls didn’t score again until 1:47 into the fourth quarter. In that brief three-minute, 44-second span, however, the Hawks scored 20 straight points to take a four-point lead.
Trae Jong scored 27 points and had 13 assists, with 16 of his points coming in the fourth, including the game-tying 3-pointer that made it 126-126 with 3:03 to play. Elsewhere, Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 30 points and 15 rebounds, while De’Andre Hunter poured in 25 off the bench.
While the Hawks made history in the fourth quarter on Thursday, it wasn’t even the best offensive quarter the Hawks have had in franchise history. In 1970, the Hawks scored 54 points in a quarter against the San Diego Clippers . Missing the record won’t cost the Hawks any sleep tonight, though, as the comeback was yet another statement in what has been a surprisingly strong season thus far.
At 16-15, the Hawks are in contention for a top-six playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They currently sit at No. 7, just half a game behind the Miami Heat in a season in which most expected them to sweep the San Antonio Spurs with a lottery pick.
The Hawks have the Celts on the road, posting multiple wins over both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks . There’s still plenty for Atlanta to figure out long-term on both sides of the ball, but this new formula of surrounding Young with athletic wings has paid off big time this season, and Thursday’s comeback is just the latest statement win in a season filled with such wings.
