The Atlanta Hawks saw their losing streak extended to three games with a 99-90 loss to the Phoenix Suns Monday night at Philips Arena.
Atlanta's reserves made a valiant effort in the fourth quarter but the reality is that this game was over long before they ever checked into the game. Phoenix outscored the Hawks 29-16 in the third quarter to extend a seven point lead to a 20 point lead heading to the fourth.
Atlanta never did solve the Suns' zone defense and struggled offensively to get good looks at the basket in rhythm. Atlanta connected on just 39 percent of its shots and was just 6-24 from three-point range. Josh Smith led the way with 18 points and five rebounds while Joe Johnson added 17 points of his own. Willie Green added 14 points off the bench with 12 coming in the final quarter when the reserves went on a run to make the lead respectable.
Atlanta's defense didn't fare much better than its offense as Phoenix hit on 51 percent of its shots in the game and hit 11 threes. Steve Nash did a lot of scoring early and then settled for setting up his teammates. Nash finished with 24 points and 11 assists including 4-4 shooting from beyond-the-arc. Channing Frye added 19 points while Jared Dudley and Michael Redd finished with 10 each.
Atlanta will close out its current home stand on Wednesday with a matchup against the Indiana Pacers.
For more on this game Hawks fans should head on over to Peachtree Hoops and Suns fans should stop by Bright Side of the Sun. For more news and analysis on the NBA head over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.