Hawks Drop Fourth Straight as Late-Game Officiating Controversy Adds Fuel to the Fire
The Atlanta Hawks are in the middle of a rough stretch, and Tuesday night’s loss to the Chicago Bulls at State Farm Arena only added to the frustration. Dropping their fourth straight game, Atlanta let another one slip away - and this time, it came with a controversial finish that’s left fans and players shaking their heads.
This was the second game in a row between these two teams on the Hawks’ home court. The first matchup was a high-octane shootout, with both squads lighting up the scoreboard in a game that saw over 300 combined points.
But Round 2 was a different story. The pace slowed, the defenses tightened up, and for most of the night, the Hawks looked like they had the upper hand.
That is, until the final minutes.
With the game hanging in the balance late in the fourth quarter, the Bulls found their rhythm at just the right time, catching fire and clawing their way back into it. Then came the moment that flipped everything on its head: with under two seconds to play, Hawks rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher was hit with an “away from the play” foul on Chicago’s Coby White - a call that gave the Bulls a free throw and, ultimately, the lead.
Here’s the issue: there wasn’t much contact - if any - on the play. And now the NBA has confirmed what Hawks fans were already yelling at their TVs.
The league’s Last Two Minute Report acknowledged the call was incorrect, stating, *“White (CHI) falls to the floor on his own and not as a result of any contact from Risacher (ATL).” *
That’s a tough pill to swallow for a team already on the ropes.
Even before the late whistle, the Hawks had been stumbling. They haven’t won a game since Trae Young returned from his MCL sprain, and the chemistry just hasn’t clicked the way you’d expect with their All-Star point guard back in the fold. The offense has been inconsistent, the defense has shown cracks, and the energy - especially late in games - hasn’t been where it needs to be.
To be clear, the Risacher foul didn’t singlehandedly cost them the game. Atlanta had opportunities to close it out before that moment, and letting the Bulls storm back in the fourth is part of the story too. But when a game comes down to one possession and the officials make a call the league later admits was wrong, it’s hard not to feel like the wind’s been taken out of your sails.
There’s no time for the Hawks to dwell, though. They’ll try to stop the bleeding on Friday when the Miami Heat come to town. With the season inching closer to its midpoint and the standings tightening up, Atlanta’s margin for error is getting thinner by the day.
The question now is whether this team can regroup, tune out the noise, and start stringing wins together - or if this losing skid is a sign of deeper issues that need addressing fast.