11-22-21 At the Game: Thunder at Hawks

We arrived at State Farm Arena about 20 minutes before tip-off — just enough time to grab a water, Tito’s and soda and hunker down in the incorrect section 102 when we were supposed to be in section 103, front row just beyond courtside behind the basket.

Attending a Thunder-Hawks game on a random and chilly Monday night in November meant that we HAD to get in on the action. The Hawks were favored by 13.5 which seemed like a LOT. We really didn’t want to bet against the Hawks at home, so we settled on Over 213 points, even though the Thunder have been regularly hitting the Under.

The Thunder won the tip, and we were off.

Much to our delight, the points were flowing early and often — just like the pre-game dranks and shots at the Hudson Grille. (Shoutout our boy A.J.! If you aren’t pre-gaming Hawks games at the Hudson Grille with A.J., you are doing it SO wrong.)

But seriously: buckets were cashing in left and right. We had hardly finished celebrating one before we had to start celebrating another.

Halfway through the second quarter, we were already sitting at an 82% chance to hit according to our handy dandy Action Network app.

We were high-fiving and hugging strangers in our section like we had won the lottery.

Trae Young, the Hawks engine and maestro, was the main culprit, drilling 3s and dishing dimes as he likes to do.

At halftime, the Hawks led 66-60. On pace for a whopping 252 points.

We didn’t think this incredible pace would hold, and it surely did not. The 3rd quarter was like trying to sneak out of the house when your parents know there is a big party. OKC scored just 11 points in the 3rd, putting us right back to a pedestrian 56% chance to hit.

The 4th quarter was back and forth like a seesaw: some points but also some lulls.

Fast forward to 2 minutes left: the scoreboard read Hawks 113, Thunder 96 after another Trae Young 3 meant we needed 5 more points.

And a huge SHOUTOUT to JEREMIAH ROBINSON-EARL who knocked down a mid-range jumper and then a 3, the last two buckets of the game to put the final Total at 214 when we had Over 213!

Hawks 113, Thunder 101.

The actual game had been well over, but we were jumping up and down and fist pumping like it came down to the wire — which is totally did for us.

Attending a Squeaky Lock in person is pure bliss.

We love this game!