The 309 Shootout

Last night, the Atlanta Hawks and the Indiana Pacers treated basketball fans to a sight uncommon. There were a total of 309 points scored, the final buzzer sounding with the scoreboard reading 157 to 152 in favor of the Pacers. While defense was in short supply, offense was surging in surplus. So what happens when two teams boasting top-5 offenses and carrying bottom-7 defenses collide? In a word: magic.

First Quarter: An Explosive Start

The opening quarter of action was a prelude of things to come. The Pacers put up 34 points, while the Hawks scorched them by scoring 40 points of their own. Other than a lack of defense being played, what happened? How did both teams manage such a feat?

For the Pacers, it was all about a balanced attack that saw the most success when getting to the rim. Take a look at their heat map for the quarter, a chart meant to show shot concentration.

While they did have some success behind the arc, they only shot 4-for-13. Certainly nothing to write home about, especially for a team shooting a scorching 39.3% from deep as a unit (that’s 4th best in the league, by the way). Conversely, they were 9-for-13 on all their shots inside the arc, and they found their stride in a variety of ways.

This Pacers team is aptly named, because they love to get out and run. And they’re good at it. Their speed causes so many match-up problems for teams who struggle to communicate in transition. Take this shot for example.

Running in transition caused enough confusion to force Clint Capela into a long closeout, and Bruce Brown is too savvy of a player to leave that opportunity untaken. But the attack wasn’t all transition. There were a lot of possessions where it felt as if the Hawks just didn’t put up any real resistance inside.

And look, that possession put Dejounte Murray in a tough spot. If he had rotated too early, Obi Toppin would have a lob. The Pacers’ spacing made the possession as a whole difficult to guard. That said, there didn’t seem to be much communication for the Hawks and it led to an easy layup.

Not to belabor the point, but here is another example of poor communication.

So yeah, the Pacers were pouring it on in the paint to start the game. Though if you recall, I said the Hawks scored 40 points of their own in the first quarter. In spite of their defensive foibles, they were a monster on the other end and they deserve some flowers.

Their attack looked very similar to the Pacers’. Get easy points in the paint and transition, and hit your threes. Seems easy enough. But the Hawks actually waited until the second quarter to flex their offense.

Second Quarter: Hawks Take Flight

The second quarter was all Hawks, which feels weird to say considering the 39 points scored by the Pacers. But hanging 46 points in a quarter is going to eclipse any lesser performance. It just felt like the Hawks couldn’t miss. They hit their first eight shots in a row. They hit 13 of their first 16. It was clear very early that the Hawks were feeling themselves. Just look at this bucket from Trae Young.

Three Hawks in particular had stellar performances in the quarter. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Dejounte Murray, and Jalen Johnson. Let’s tackle each guy really quickly.

Bogi shot a perfect 5-for-5. His first was a beautiful one dribble midrange pullup off of a double pindown. The rest of them… I mean, just look at them.

He also got to the free throw line three times and knocked down every one of them. It was the quintessential quarter for a shooter, where he rattled off 15 points on perfect shooting. Truly a chef’s kiss.

While he didn’t have a perfect quarter like Bogi, Dejounte Murray contributed 14 points of his own. He got to the rim, hit a middy, and shot the long ball well. If he sensed even a moment of hesitation from the defense, he attacked it.

However, the performance I most enjoyed from the Hawks came from Jalen Johnson, the third year player who has taken a big leap. I was impressed with him all game. His first basket of the quarter was a gorgeous post-up fadeaway and it was absolutely textbook.

And the rest of his quarter was nothing mind blowing, but he just did all the little things you want to see players do. He stayed aggressive, going to the charity stripe five times and cashing in all of them. He ran out in transition for easy points. He also showed awareness, slipping a screen to get an easy dunk when the Pacers’ defense fell asleep.

Between those three guys and contributions from other teammates, the Hawks went into the locker room at halftime up by 13. Surely they felt good, despite some of their earlier defensive missteps. But what they did not foresee was the retaliation in store: one of the most explosive third quarters of NBA basketball we are going to witness this season.

Third Quarter: Mount Hali Erupts

The story of the Pacers’ third quarter can be summed up in two words: Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton is currently the best point guard of his era, and he proved it as the Pacers stormed back into the game. Of the staggering 46 points scored by Indiana in the third quarter, Hali was responsible for 36 of them. He only failed to score or assist on 10 points in the quarter. Absolutely otherworldly.

It would be reductive to only describe his scoring outburst by stating he went 7-for-8 from the three point line. But he went 7-for-8 from the three point line. His variety of head fakes and hesitations opened up the floor for scoring opportunities, and his vision and passing ability punished lax defenders. On top of that, all of his three point attempts came off the dribble save for one, meaning he created every single look with a live dribble. If you’re not a basketball person, I need you to understand the extreme difficulty and rarity of those shots (particularly at that volume).

I won’t spend much more time on Haliburton because we’ve already covered him this week, but make no mistake, he was a one man offense in the third quarter.

Fourth Quarter: The 309

With all the offense on display (and the frankly disgusting lack of defense), it was difficult to remember that fans were not being treated to a showcase but rather a high stakes in-season tournament game. With only three minutes left in the game, the Pacers were only up by two, the scoreboard showing a mind-boggling 145 to 143. Then, a few moments later, after an Indiana turnover, this happened.

I won’t spoil the way the game ended. You owe it to yourself to watch the entire game, but especially its ending. There were clutch buckets from both teams, and offensively speaking, neither of them have any reason to feel shame, even in defeat.

We don’t often get to see 300 point games. It’s even rarer to see them happen in regulation. Sure, they aren’t the best games of basketball. After all, there wasn’t anything close to approximating professional defense in this contest. But they do showcase the best that basketball has to offer. There was creativity and execution, a beautiful matrimony of artistry and system only achievable in basketball. The 309 will be a game I probably watch multiple times this year, and I think you should too. There won’t be many more like it.