LeVert hard carries team late, hits game-winner to defeat Grizz 132-130

Thrilling comeback late in a tough environment.

The Hawks and the Grizzlies met on Monday night in a matchup of the two fastest paced teams in the league. So, this game promised a high-octane up-and-down battle between two hungry teams.

Dominick Barlow, fresh off reports of inking a standard contract with the team, joined the starting lineup next to Onyeka Okongwu in the frontcourt.

Okongwu was active early, like on this loud putback jam:

But Atlanta had trouble hitting threes in the first quarter, ending the period 0-for-8 from deep. It was a shame, given seven offensive rebounds and seven steals forced in the quarter, but Memphis’ 4-for-9 mark from three was the main reason for their 34-28 edge after 12 minutes.

Clint Capela did what he could off the bench to affect the game on both ends of the court:

Garrison Mathews made a rare appearance in the second quarter to give the Hawks some shooting in the absence of Georges Niang, although he made most of impact on the defensive end (?!).

That is, of course, until he got free for a deep ball, the first for the Hawks all night.

And then (DJ Khaled voice) anotha one:

The Hawks were able to claw back after trailing by nine, and it became a fun back-and-forth affair for the rest of the half. Zaccharie Risacher had his own 7-point streak for the Hawks in very quick succession:

The Hawks used that momentum to close the half on an absolute tear, routinely attacking the paint in transition opportunities as part of a 16-2 run going into the locker rooms.

After two quarters, Atlanta led 70-65 behind 50 points in the paint. Zaccharie Risacher was the team’s top scorer with 14 points.

It remained a frantic track meet of a basketball game in the third quarter. Similarly, Risacher remained absolutely on fire in the third quarter and hit 20 points and counting quickly.

Keaton Wallace checked into the game for the first time and got in on the three-point shooting action:

But the Hawks had both defensive and rebounding breakdowns, and the Grizzlies punished them with extra shots and long balls of their own.

After three quarters, the Hawks now trailed 107-101.

The game avalanched with a 5-for-5 start from the field for Memphis, causing head coach Quin Snyder to call timeout with his team down 13 points with nine minutes left in the game.

Atlanta couldn’t find any real solutions for the lackluster rebounding all quarter, but despite that hurdle, they kept fighting and cut the lead to three points with just over three minutes remaining.

Caris LeVert remained on the court in crunch time, and he helped the cause with some big buckets like this:

And then another to tie the game:

And for the final defensive possession, the Great Barrier Thief does what he does best, stripping Desmond Bane to start the break. LeVert makes sure the Hawks hop on the plane back home happy:

The Hawks escape with a breathless 132-130 win.

Caris LeVert scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, going 7-for-8 (88%) from the field in that period alone. Risacher added 27 points on 11-for-13 (85%) shooting.

Atlanta heads home for another homestand, starting with the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.