Atlanta Hawks Poised for Toughest Test Yet and Other Saturday NBA Takeaways
After getting throttled, 107-77, by the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night, the Atlanta Hawks rebounded to take the second half of a home-and-home, 90-85, Saturday evening.
Behind 25 points from Jeff Teague, 20 from Al Horford and 17 from Paul Millsap, the Hawks were able to stave off the short-handed Bucks, who were without the services of Larry Sanders (flu-like symptoms) and Ersan Ilyasova (concussion).
Atlanta (22-8) has now won 17 of its last 20 games and continues to occupy the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed, just a game back of the first-place Toronto Raptors.
However, the Hawks will need to muster their strongest effort yet over the next week-and-a-half in order to maintain a stranglehold on that favorable position.
With the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls lurking a half-game and full game back, respectively, Atlanta is facing the very real possibility of a slide.
Over their next five games, the Hawks will square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies. All but two of those contests (Memphis and Cleveland) will be played in hostile territory.
And while Atlanta has been one of the league's best at home (13-3), it boasts a respectable road record of 9-5. Furthermore, the Hawks are 11-4 against teams that are .500 or better this season, using a combination of furious ball movement and precise long-range shooting to torment opponents.
Not only do the Hawks rank second in total assists, but as Bleacher Report's Dylan Murphy explains, their shot selection breeds aesthetically pleasing results:
"From a scheming perspective, Atlanta's ability to score the ball is mostly due to a refined shot selection that seeks the most efficient shot locations.
They attempt the fourth-fewest mid-range shots per game and third-most right corner threes. Also, 27.5 percent of their points, on average, are generated by threes, the fifth-highest rate in the league.
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The team's shot chart, courtesy of NBA.com, confirms those findings:
It would be unfair to sleep on Atlanta's defense, though, a unit that has limited opponents to 100.8 points per 100 possessions. According to NBA.com, that total ranks as the league's seventh-best, right behind the San Antonio Spurs.
"I think that we have a system established here and we have a group of guys that understand the concept of teamwork and doing things as a team," Horford said, according to CBS Sports' Ken Berger. "When you have a group of guys like that, it makes everything easier."
Considering Mike Budenholzer's squad finished the 2013-14 campaign ranked 14th and 18th in defensive and offensive rating, respectively, Atlanta's polished two-way tendencies appear to be the product of encouraging organic growth.
As such, the Hawks are poised to thrive in an Eastern Conference landscape shrouded in uncertainty.
But first, Atlanta must pass its extended mid-term exam. Proctors will be standing by when the Hawks host the Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday night.
Around the Association
Bulls Win Sixth Straight Behind Butler's Brilliance
Jimmy Butler remained on a torrid scoring pace Saturday night, torching the New Orleans Pelicans for 33 points (12-of-18 shooting, 9-of-10 from the free-throw line) in the Chicago Bulls' 107-100 win.
Butler has now scored at least 30 points five times this season and surpassed 20 points a total of 19 times:
Derrick Rose, on the other hand, was merely average, totaling 19 points and a single dime in 27 minutes. However, Nikola Mirotic continued his emergence as a multi-dimensional bench weapon, tallying 10 points, six rebounds and a steal in just 17 minutes.
The Bulls have now won six straight and nine of their last 10 and sit a half-game back of the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards.
Anthony Davis was stellar in the loss, as well, posting a seemingly casual 29 points (13-of-24 shooting), 11 rebounds and six blocks against one of the league's top-ranked defenses.
Grizzlies Snap Losing Streak on South Beach
After going a week without a win, the Memphis Grizzlies got back on track with a 103-95 victory over the Miami Heat.
During the Grizzlies' four-game losing streak, Dave Joerger's club averaged 97.5 points while shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 22.4 percent from three.
Against the Heat, Memphis knocked down 46.6 percent of its total field goals and 43.8 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc while assisting on 22-of-34 made buckets.
Mike Conley and Marc Gasol led the resurgent Grizzlies with 24 and 22 points, respectively, while Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting to go with seven assists.
The Heat haven't won back-to-back contests in five weeks and dropped to 6-11 at home with the loss.
Raptors Thrash Clippers at Staples
The Toronto Raptors have now won seven of their last eight games after trouncing the Los Angeles Clippers, 110-98, Saturday afternoon.
Kyle Lowry led the way with 25 points and seven assists while Jonas Valanciunas poured in 23 points (8-of-13 shooting) and 11 rebounds.
However, Toronto's bench did much of the heavy lifting in the fourth quarter, accounting for nearly two-thirds of Toronto's 30-point output during the final frame. Greivis Vasquez (16 points), Patrick Patterson (10 points) and Lou Williams (nine points) all stepped up off the pine.
"It may not show in the stats, but a lot of different guys do a lot of different things," Vasquez said following the game, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "The second (unit) doesn't get as much credit as the starters, but we don't care."
As for the Clippers, they've lost four of their last six games dating back to Dec. 19 and six of their last 10 overall.
Kings Slay Knicks in Overtime
DeMarcus Cousins dropped a season-high 39 points to go with 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks as the Sacramento Kings downed the New York Knicks, 135-126, in overtime.
Rudy Gay and Darren Collison were sensational, as well, scoring 29 and 27 points apiece. Collison's performance was particularly impressive, as he accrued his 27 points and game-high 10 dimes on just 10 shots.
Carmelo Anthony led the way for New York with 36 points (13-of-29 shooting), 11 boards and six dimes, but the Knicks were outscored 18-12 in the extra session as Sacramento's energy was too much to overcome.
Derek Fisher's club has lost 17 of its last 18 and remains pitiful in close games, according to The Wall Street Journal's Chris Herring:
Kemba Drops Career-High to No Avail
Kemba Walker scored a career-high 42 points, but the Charlotte Hornets fell to the Orlando Magic, 102-94. Charlotte (10-21) is now the lone occupant of the Southeast Division cellar, as the Magic improved to 12-21 with the win.
According to the Hornets on Twitter, Walker's 35 second-half points were the most in franchise history:
All told, Walker accounted for 67.3 percent of Charlotte's second-half points on a night when Al Jefferson (14 points) was the only other Hornets player to finish in double figures. As a team, Charlotte shot 41.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.
By tallying 22 points and 11 boards, Magic center Nikola Vucevic recorded his league-leading 18th double-double in the win.
John Wall is Silly, Part II
Purchase John Wall stock while you can, because it soon won't be attainable at an affordable rate.
En route to scoring 12 points and dropping seven dimes in the Washington Wizards' 101-88 win against the Boston Celtics, Wall defied gravity with a frighteningly familiar mid-air maneuver:
After dropping two straight against the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls, the Wizards have done well to bounce back with convincing victories over lowly Atlantic Division foes in the Celtics and New York Knicks.
Kevin Garnett Trolls the Pacers
The Brooklyn Nets' clash with the Indiana Pacers was largely devoid of excitement. With two of the league's most anemic offenses meeting, that wasn't a major surprise.
So in order to generate some buzz, Kevin Garnett did what he does best: Provoke opponents with unorthodox tactics. Specifically, he took a page out of Lance Stephenson's book and blew in the face of Pacers forward David West:
And, hey, it worked. West was slapped with a technical foul after hitting Garnett with a retaliatory shove.
West got the last laugh, though, as the Pacers outlasted the Nets, 110-85.
