Atlanta Hawks Fall To Brooklyn Nets At Home
By Deke Lloyd
The Atlanta Hawks struggled defensively in their game with the Brooklyn Nets, eventually losing 130-118. After finding a win on Monday, the Hawks not have to pick themselves back up after losing 11 of their last 12 games.
After Monday’s win over the Warriors, the Atlanta Hawks were hoping to build some momentum going into December after the dreadful November that saw the Hawks go 2-13 in their 15 games. With the Brooklyn Nets coming to Atlanta, without Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert, the Hawks had a good shot to start December on a high note. Despite their good shooting and another otherworldly game from Trae Young, the Hawks could not keep the Brooklyn Nets from scoring, eventually losing the battle late.
Against the Nets, the Hawks shot the ball fantastic, shooting 53% percent from the floor for the game. The three-point shooting did take a dip, 34%, but it was the free throws that really hurt the Hawks in Wednesday’s game with the Nets. The Hawks did a great job of getting to the free-throw line 21 times but shot only 62% in those 21 attempts. Those free throw shooting numbers can doom any team, especially a team with this much youth.
There were some standout performances from the Hawks, however. Trae Young continued to set the NBA on fire, scoring 39 points and dishing 10 assists. Trae was very efficient in his scoring, shooting 56% from the field, 55% from three-point range, and 80% at the free-throw line. Trae continues to improve game after game. Now, if the Doncic comparisons would stop, the rest of the NBA could appreciate how special Trae Young is, despite the Hawks troubles.
Another standout performance came from the rookie Cam Reddish. Reddish’s start of his career has been marred with bad offensive performances, sometimes the worst in the NBA. Even with the bad start, Coach Lloyd Pierce has stuck with his rookie. Last night, Reddish finished with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. A very productive night for a player who has been struggling at the start of his NBA career.
Alex Len and Damian Jones both had very productive nights, scoring 18 and 20. In particular, Jones continues to thrive with the more minutes he plays. Kevin Huerter, who has been dealing with knee issues all season, returned to action last night. Huerter finished the game with no points, missing his only two shots, but his return should a boost for the Hawks as they move through the end of 2019.
Despite the Hawks good shooting from the field, the Nets shot the ball better. The Nets, as a team, shot 50/45/89, behind the Hawks in only field goal percentage. Bad defense continues to plague this Hawks team, and last night was no different. Led by Garrett Temple, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Taurean Prince, the Nets got everything they wanted all night against the Hawks defense. Until the Hawks can play more sound defense, this team will continue their descent into the bottom of the NBA standings.
The Atlanta Hawks will have a few days off before traveling to Charlotte to face off with the Hornets. The Hornets have been surprisingly frisky this season, winning 9 games of their 23 so far after it was assumed the Hornets would be the worst team in the NBA. Unfortunately, the Hawks are in the running for that undesirable honor.