LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The chances were there for the Hawks to continue their unanticipated run in the NBA Cup and make Tuesday night's final.
Just 12 strong minutes were what Atlanta needed.
kAmqFE E92EVD H96? E96 w2H<DV @776?D6 232?5@?65 :ED6=7[ D4@C:?8 @?=J 'h A@:?ED :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C @7 $2EFC52JVD k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^92H<D\3F4<D\D4@C6\?32\4FA\ac'6h2afgh62c26hd56h2'3ea3a4ec66nFE>0D@FC46l4@AJU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lD92C6Qm''_\'_a D6>:7:?2= =@DD E@ E96 |:=H2F<66 qF4<Dk^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 w2H<D H6C6 ?@E @?=J @FED4@C65 3J ?:?6 A@:?ED :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C[ 3FE E96J >256 ;FDE d @7 'e D9@ED 2?5 >:DD65 D:I @7 E96:C 7:?2= D6G6? 2EE6>AED]k^Am
kAm"x <?@H E96C6 H6C6 2 76H E92E H6C6 C62==J 8@@5 D9@ED 2?5 H6 925 E@ H@C< 7@C E96>[" w2H<D 4@249 "F:? $?J56C D2:5] Q%92E D2:5[ x E9:?< H6 <?@H H92E6G6C E92E :D -- :E 4@F=5 36 @? E96 >2C8:?D -- E96C6 2C6 46CE2:? E9:?8D E92E H6 ?665 E@ 5@ 36EE6C]k^Am
kAm"qFE x E9:?< 7@C FD W;FDEX E@ AFE @FCD6=G6D :? E92E D:EF2E:@?[ 8:G6? H6 5:5?'E C62==J >2<6 D9@ED 5FC:?8 E96 4@FCD6 @7 E96 82>6[ 6:E96C] x E9:?< E96 DE@CJ=:?6 7@C >6 :D ;FDE 9@H H6 4@>A6E65]"k^Am
kAm%96 w2H<D >256 :E E@ {2D '682D 3J 8@:?8 b\' :? 8C@FA A=2J -- :?4=F5:?8 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^46=E:4D\92H<D\D4@C6\;2J=6?\3C@H?\eaaff5bf62fbhc64_2af4ffd6f26ba62nFE>0D@FC46l4@AJU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lD92C6Qm''f\''e G:4E@CJ @G6C C6:8?:?8 492>A:@? q@DE@?k^2m -- 2?5 E96? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^<?:4<D\92H<D\D4@C6\?32\4FA\afhga'ff7geb2ga'_2baa244cd_fb3ednFE>0D@FC46l4@AJU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lD92C6QmH:??:?8 2E }6H *@C< '_g\'__k^2m :? 2 BF2CE6C7:?2= @? (65?6D52J]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 7:?:D9:?8 @77 E96 z?:4<D[ %C26 *@F?8 AC6E6?565 E@ C@== 5:46 @? E96 |25:D@? $BF2C6 v2C56? >:54@FCE]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H@F=5 36 ?@ DF49 46=63C2E:@? :? E96 ?2E:@?VD 82>3=:?8 42A:E2=[ 6G6? H:E9 2 D:K623=6 w2H<D 4C@H5 369:?5 E96>]k^Am
kAmqFE E92E 5@6D?VE >62? E96 w2H<D 5:5?VE E2<6 2 =@E 7C@> E96 6IA6C:6?46 2D E96J ECJ E@ D9@H E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 5@6D?VE ;FDE 36=@?8 E@ E96 r6=E:4D[ z?:4<D 2?5 E96 aa\c r2G2=:6CD -- k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42G2=:6CD\92H<D\D4@C6\6ab42b27f_5dbbf3_e5a5e72abd6ee_enFE>0D@FC46l4@AJU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lD92C6Qm2 E62> pE=2?E2 2=D@ 56762E65k^2m :? 8C@FA A=2J]k^Am
kAm"x E9:?< H92E H6 92G6 5@?6 :? E9:D rFA H2D C62==J[ C62==J DA64:2=[" D2:5 *@F?8[ H9@ 42>6 4=@D6 E@ 9:D 7@FCE9 42C66C EC:A=6\5@F3=6 H:E9 bd A@:?ED[ '_ 2DD:DED 2?5 D6G6? C63@F?5D] "x E9:?< H6'G6 C62==J 7@F?5 E96 H2J H6 H2?E E@ A=2J 2?5 7:8FC65 @FE E96 E6>A@ H6 H2?E E@ A=2J 2E 2?5 E9:?8D =:<6 E92E]"k^Am
kAm"x 766= =:<6 E9:D rFA H2D C62==J 8@@5 7@C FD] u@C 2 J@F?8 E62> E@ 8@ 2D 72C 2D H6 5:5[ H6 42? C62==J FD6 E9:D 2D 9@A67F==J >@>6?EF> 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 C6DE @7 E96 D62D@?]"k^Am
kAmqFE *@F?8 =2>6?E65 E96 >:DD65 @AA@CEF?:E:6D :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C E92E 4@F=5 92G6 >256 E96 }qp rFA 6G6? >@C6 >62?:?87F=]k^Am
kAm"(6 D9@H65 E9C@F89@FE E9:D H9@=6 rFA E92E H6 36=@?8[" D2:5 y2=6? y@9?D@?[ H9@ E@E2=65 'd A@:?ED 2?5 '_ C63@F?5D] Q(6 42? 4@>A6E6 H:E9 E96 36DE @7 E96>] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E@52J H6 42>6 FA D9@CE] xE'D ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 8:G6 FD 2 =@E E@ =62C? 7C@> >@G:?8 7@CH2C5] tDA64:2==J 5@H? E96 DEC6E49 :? E9@D6 =2DE 7:G6[ D:I >:?FE6D[ x'G6 567:?:E6=J 8@E E@ 36 36EE6C]k^Am
kAm"yFDE 2D 2 E62>[ H6'G6 8@E 2 =@E @7 C@@> E@ 8C@H[ 3FE x'> AC@F5 @7 6G6CJ3@5J] (6 56762E65 2 =@E @7 @55D 4@>:?8 :?[ >2<:?8 :E 2== E96 H2J E@ '682D] %96C6'D ?@E9:?8 E@ 92?8 @FC 9625D 23@FE] (6'G6 ;FDE 8@E E@ <66A >@G:?8 :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@?]"k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! }qpi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}qpQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}qpk^2mk^Am