Atlanta Hawks: 4 Observations from Knicks Game

The Atlanta Hawks won their first game of the season on Thursday night, defeating the New York Knicks by a final score of 112-101 at Madison Square Garden.

After struggling on opening night at home against the Detroit Pistons, the Atlanta Hawks returned to the form that they displayed last season, effectively moving the ball and hitting their jump shots. Jeff Teague shined for the Atlanta Hawks, scoring 23 points and recording 8 assists in 30 minutes. Al Horford added 21 points on the night as well.

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The Atlanta Hawks showed there was no concern considering their lackluster performance on Tuesday, as the team is continuing to build chemistry and to gel early on in the year. The Hawks 26 assists demonstrates the growing chemistry between the team and its new additions. The team led by double digits the entire second half, and beat a Knicks team that had a lot of confidence following an opening night win on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks.

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After an impressive showing in New York City, the Atlanta Hawks need to build on their performance on Friday when they return home to face their Southeast Division rival the Charlotte Hornets. Here are 4 observations from Thursday’s contest against the Knicks.

1. Kyle Korver is Back: After shooting only 1-5 on Tuesday vs. Detroit, Kyle Korver had an excellent game in New York. The Atlanta Hawks’ veteran sharpshooter scored 15 points in 32 minutes on 6-8 shooting, including going 3-5 from beyond the three-point line. Against the Pistons, Korver struggled with his shot and looked a step slow when moving off of screens, leading to some concern that Korver was not yet fully healthy. He alleviated those concerns on Thursday with his impressive shooting performance, and was a key for the Atlanta Hawks offensive success.

2. Lamar Patterson is Now a Rotational Player: Lamar Patterson secured the 15th and final roster spot on the Atlanta Hawks coming out of training camp, and figured as a non-factor when projecting Mike Budenholzer’s 10-man rotation. Through 2 game in the 2015-2016 season, not only has Lamar Patterson played, but he has played well. Patterson scored 9 points on 3-5 shooting in 21 minutes against the Knicks, supplanting offseason additions Tim Hardaway Jr. and Justin Holiday in the Atlanta Hawks’ rotation. Given how well Patterson has played, I fully expect him to remain as a part of the rotation for the foreseeable future.

3. Tim Hardaway Jr. Dressed, but Didn’t Play Again: After not dressing for the Atlanta Hawks on opening night, Tim Hardaway Jr. was active on Thursday as the Hawks faced his former team. I fully expected Hardaway to get significant minutes on Thursday, given the high cost of his acquisition this offseason. This was not the case, as Lamar Patterson played 21 minutes off the bench and Justin Holiday added 13 minutes, while Hardaway received a DNP-CD. It’s uncertain why Hardaway has yet to play, especially after all the Atlanta Hawks went through to acquire him during the NBA Draft. Something is definitely amiss, but I cannot speculate as to what the cause of his lack of playing time is due to right now. If Hardaway fails to play against Charlotte, the plot will continue to thicken.

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4. The Atlanta Hawks Stay True to their System: Hawks’ basketball is back. I don’t mean the fact that the regular season has started and the team is now playing meaningful games; but rather the unselfish brand of basketball that made fans fall in love with the Atlanta Hawks last season was prevalent in force last night against New York. The Atlanta Hawks recorded 26 assists on the night, including 8 from Jeff Teague. Against Detroit, the Hawks failed to move the ball as effectively as they did last season, leading to too many isolations. By moving the ball, Kyle Korver was able to reclaim his shooting form, Al Horford received a healthy dose of balls in the paint, while Jeff Teague effectively got to the basket. When the Atlanta Hawks play their brand of basketball, they are one of the best teams in the league.

The Atlanta Hawks host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night at Philips Arena in the second game of a back-to-back. Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM with Fox Sports Southeast handling the telecast.

Next: Atlanta Hawks Welcome Hornets to Philips Arena

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