But cooled off when he returned to the floor for his second stint in the second half, missing his next two shots from deep. He finished with 11 points.

The Hawks signed Windler at the beginning of the month and he has had spot minutes before the last three games. But he’s played 15 or minutes in two of his last three outings and has capitalized on them.

“He’s had some tough injuries through his career,” Mathews said. “And hopefully he’s found a home. I know him very well because we played a lot against each other in college. But it’s fun to play on the same team now.”

— 4. Though the Hawks eventually got the game under control, they could not find an answer for Dalano Banton. The Trail Blazers acquired Banton at the Feb. 8 trade deadline and he has grown in the time since.

Banton scored a career-high 31 points, cutting to the basket, hitting contested shots from deep and getting out in transition. It’s the second time in two days that Banton has scored 25 or more points.

— 5. Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson and third-year guard Ashton Hagans had solid outings as they both returned home to Atlanta.

Henderson, who has had an up-and-down season, scored 15 points but worked for every single one of his 16 shot attempts. The rookie made just two of his seven field goals in the first half, as he hunted for shots while the Hawks made him uncomfortable.

Hagans scored 10 points, knocking down both of his attempts from 3.

With their win, the Hawks continued solidifying their spot as the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls downed the Pacers in their matchup and maintain their 1 1/2-game lead on the Hawks. The Nets remain 5 1/2 games behind the Hawks.

Stat to know

1,100 — Bogdan Bogdanovic buried his 1,100th career 3-pointer Wednesday night.

Quotable

“When they pass me the ball, they expect me to shoot. (Murray) does get (upset) if pass one up and it speaks to him as a willing passer, leader. It’s what we need.” — Mathews on who’s in his ear pushing him to shoot.

Up next

The Hawks have a quick turnaround and return to the court Thursday to host the Celtics for a second meeting in three games.

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