The Hawks came into the Barclays Center up 2-0 in their best of seven first round series. The Nets kept the first two games close and were motivated to get a must win at home.
It was atrocious first quarter for the Hawks. The Nets got out to a quick 10-2 lead on 4/8 shooting. The lead would extend to 16-5. Pero Antic cut into the deficit for the Hawks as he made it a 16-10 game and Atlanta was on a 7-0 run. Brooklyn regained their rhythm and led 31-16 at the end of the first quarter due to the clutch shooting of Thaddeus Young and Bojan Bogdanovic.
Dennis Schroder made it a 10 point game at 33-23 four minutes into the second quarter. The Hawks turnover woes continued into the second quarter but they got back into the game as Mike Scott turned it into a single digit game at 33-25 with 8:15 left. Atlanta was on a 9-2 run. A DeMarre Carroll three pointer then made it 35-28. The Nets continued to dominate on the boards and had an answer for every Atlanta bucket. It was back out to a 11 point lead with 5:43 left. Paul Millsap tried to get back into his shooting stroke as he knocked down a jumper that cut the deficit to 39-33. He would later knock down a three pointer that suddenly made it 43-38 with 2:28 left. Atlanta regrouped and had momentum on their side but were still down 47-40 at halftime.
The Atlanta Hawks formed a ferocious comeback in the third quarter. Four minutes into the period, Paul Millsap made it a 47-44 game A DeMarre Carroll three pointer made it a one point game at 48-47. Carroll led all Hawks scorers with a career playoff-high 22 points. Atlanta would go on to tie the game at 58 on a Kent Bazemore lob. Moments later, Paul Millsap got the Hawks the lead on a layup that made it 60-58. The Hawks were on a 9-0 run. They extended it to 62-58 but the lead soon evaporated. A 6-0 Nets run helped them take the lead heading into the fourth quarter 67-62.
The fourth quarter was a collapse for the Hawks. Joe Johnson made it a 70-62 game early in the period and it staged a major run for Brooklyn. A Brook Lopez and one play made it 74-62 and the Nets were on an amazing 18-0 run. Paul Millsap knocked down a three for the Hawks to make it 83-75 with 2:15 left but they could not get the stops needed or dominate on the boards to complete their comeback.
The Hawks now lead the series against the Nets 2-1. Win this win, Brooklyn has snapped a six game losing streak to Atlanta this season. Game 4 will be at the Barclays Center on April 27th.