Key Takeaways From Atlanta's 142-110 Loss to the Nuggets

The Atlanta Hawks went on the road last night to try and get back in the win column, but they ran into the defending champion Denver Nuggets, who showed how good they can be on a given night. The Hawks losing streak is at two after this game and they are 1.5 games behind the Bulls for the No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference. 

There are only four regular season games left for the Hawks, starting with Tuesday's matchup with the Miami Heat. Time is running out of it the Hawks want to leap over the Bulls and host the 9 vs 10 games in the play-in. 

It is hard to find big takeaways from a game that was so lopsided, but there were a few things that stood out. 

So what are the key takeaways from last night's game?

1. The Hawks' defense was dreadful last night...

The Hawks played solid defense in games against the Mavericks and the Bulls this week, but they played one of their worst defensive games of the year against the Nuggets last night. The Hawks have had a poor defense all year so when they put on a really bad performance, it looks like last night. 

Denver had no trouble getting buckets against the Hawks last night. The Nuggets shot 60% from the field and 56% from three. Six players scored in double figures, including huge nights from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson. Denver finished with a 134 offensive rating and a 73% effective field goal percentage.  After the game, head coach Quin Snyder talked about the Hawks defense and what they were not able to do: 

2. It is becoming less likely that the Hawks get the No.9 spot now...

The Hawks had momentum this week when they beat the Bulls and the Pistons and tied Chicago for the No. 9 spot. Yes, the Hawks had a difficult end to the schedule, but Atlanta had at least closed the gap. 

The end of the week changed things though. 

Atlanta lost to Dallas and Denver while the Bulls beat the Knicks. Chicago now leads by 1.5 games and they own the tiebreaker over the Hawks. Atlanta has games against the Heat, Hornets, Timberwolves, and Pacers this season, meaning Atlanta is going to need to finish strong against good teams while hoping the Bulls falter to end the year. It is starting to look like the Hawks will be heading to Chicago for the first play-in game.