The Hawks looked unstoppable. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was all gone.

The energy inside State Farm Arena seemed electric as the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers faced in a Saturday Night game. It was the Hawks who emerged victorious, securing a 120-118 win over the Pacers for the second time in three days.

From the opening jump ball, the Hawks came out firing on all cylinders, starting the game with a 39-19 lead over the Pacers. Ice Trae (Young) wasted no time asserting his presence, orchestrating the offense with precision while knocking down deep 3 balls, while Caris LeVert and Onyeka Okongwu added some key support that made the home crowd go wild. Meanwhile, the Pacers struggled to find their rhythm early, unable to match Atlanta’s fast pace. Indiana had no answers.

The Pacers struggled offensively, but Pascal Siakam and Benedict Mathurin refused to let the game slip away. A few timely buckets and defensive stops helped the Pacers cut the deficit to 60-49 by halftime. The Hawks still led, but Indiana had found new life.

The third quarter was all Indiana. Mathurin was unstoppable off the bench, attacking the rim and knocking down shots giving them 12 points in just 3 minutes. By the 9:03 mark, he had cut the lead to 75-65, and suddenly,it was anybody’s game. Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith stepped up helping the Pacers tighten the defense even more to chip away at the lead. Atlanta, who once in complete control, found itself grasping on to only a seven point lead entering the fourth.

Momentum fully shifted when Thomas Bryant buried a three to give the Pacers their first lead of the game. But Ice Trae wasn’t going to let this desperately needed win slip away. He responded with huge clutch plays, assisting LeVert for a big time basket that put Atlanta back up four.

Still, the Pacers fought. Siakam threw down a powerful dunk, cutting the lead to just two. With seconds remaining, Indiana had a chance to tie it up and go to overtime, but Atlanta’s defense held solid. The game finished Hawks 120 to Pacers 118.

Young finished with 6 points and 8 assists, leading Atlanta to a much needed win. LeVert had 26 points and Okongwu with 16 points, 16 rebounds which played major roles in this win, while Mathurin’s 30 point performance off the bench, wasn’t enough for Indiana.

With the win, Atlanta improves to 30-34, gaining momentum as they push for a play in spot. The 35-27 Pacers will need to regroup to avoid further sliding down the Eastern Conference standings.