Goodwin for Atlanta

The Los Angeles Clippers will be wondering how on Earth they lost this. In the first half; they were as dominant as dominant can be. Going up by 21 points; they were at their imperious best; dominating at both ends of the floor; punctuated by a rip-roaring Montrezl Harrell effort that saw him clock an impossible 21 points in just 12 minutes. When Jeff Teague threw up a three-pointer air-ball in the dying throes of the half: it summed up exactly what the Atlanta Hawks had been: dismal; irrelevant; hopeless.

But come the second half; the match somehow started to turn. Perhaps fuelled by complacency; the Clippers started turning the ball over. Loose entry passes; crucial missed free throws; second to every loose ball. And with each growing possession; the Hawks started to ease into it. Gaining a foot-hold from long-range; and playing with a new-found belief and confidence; Lloyd Pierce's men suddenly found themselves right back in it.

And then the Brandon Goodwill effect came in to really turn the tide. Coming out from seemingly nowhere; the 6'0" point guard produced 19 points to stun the Clippers; driving at every turn and dishing to his big men for slam dunks. As Harrell missed the final two crucial free-throws; the Hawks were left celebrating a highly improbable win. The Clippers though; were left wondering just how they let this slip away.

There was one highlight for the Clippers though. Midway through the third quarter, Sixth Man of the Year-candidate Lou Williams drove in to the basket and unleashed a Dee Brown-esque; rip-roaring slam-dunk that shook the place and brought the Clipper bench up in arms.