Monday NBA Roundup: Atlanta Hawks Put on Masterful Offensive Display in 50th Win
Apparently the Sacramento Kings aren't familiar with the old adage, "hand down, man down," because they were obliterated 130-105 by the sharpshooting Atlanta Hawks Monday night.
Not only were the 130 points a season-high for the Eastern Conference kings, but the Hawks' 20 conversions from beyond the arc also represented a new franchise record, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
"Bombs away!" was the theme of the evening, but the staggering three-point total wouldn't have been possible without the selfless play that's come to define Atlanta's season.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chris Vivlamore, the Hawks' 42 dimes also graded out as an NBA season-high, one more than the Los Angeles Clippers tallied Jan. 22 against the Brooklyn Nets:
En route to capturing their 50th win of the season, all five Hawks starters finished in double figures. At this point, it's almost a surprise when that's not the case.
Ball movement has bred balance all season long, and Monday was no different. Kyle Korver (6-of-8 shooting from three) and DeMarre Carroll (4-of-9 from three) topped the charts with 20 points apiece, while Jeff Teague and Al Horford both totaled 18 points.
Even their box scores are symmetrical.
"It always starts with taking individual pride, but it takes five guys, the whole team, working together and doing everything in unison,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said after the team's 106-97 drubbing of the Cleveland Cavaliers last Friday, according to Vivlamore.
So in case you were wondering what it looks like for a team to experience basketball nirvana, this was it.
By becoming the first team this season to hit the half-century mark in the win column, Atlanta broke even more ground, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein:
As CBS Sports NBA explained, the Hawks are so far ahead of the pack that they're dangerously close to locking up the Eastern Conference's top seed with 19 games still remaining on their regular-season slate:
While peripheral questions may linger regarding their lack of an archetypal late-game scorer or clutch superstar, Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick explained that Atlanta doesn't need one thanks to the depth of its collective offerings:
"The narrative goes that a team needs to know who can get a basket, whether in the post or off the dribble, when the score is tight and time is short. You hear that wisdom all the time from former players turned analysts, though not nearly as much from working scouts, who tend to see the benefit in diversity, in unpredictability, in precision over isolation, in running clever sets to completion.
The Hawks have done the latter this season, over and over and over, more than any other team, building habits that, for opponents, are hard to handle.
"
At this point, trying to poke holes in the Hawks' style is a futile exercise.
They're the basketball overlords of tactical execution, and every single win on their resume has been earned with a distinctly unique approach that competitors can only hope to duplicate.
Around the Association
Anthony Davis Picked the Wrong Year to Break Out
If there was a casting call for a modern-day edition of Space Jam, Anthony Davis would join forces with the Monstars instead of the Tune Squad.
He's just not human. He can't be.
In a 114-103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Davis tied his career-high with 43 points (17-of-23 shooting) while stuffing his stat sheet with 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Davis has as many 40-point, 10-rebound games this season as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and James Harden, combined:
Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver provided a glimpse at Davis' insanely efficient shot chart, which resembled a bucolic meadow:
Here's a fun reminder: Davis is younger than last season's Rookie of the Year winner, Michael Carter-Williams, who finished Monday's loss with 25 points and seven assists.
And yet, Davis' name is only mentioned as an aside in a fierce MVP conversations these days. It's not his fault, of course. It's simply bad timing.
Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James are all putting together tremendous campaigns on playoff-bound clubs—a designation that doesn't currently apply to the ninth-seeded Pelicans.
Davis' day will come, though. And when it does, we'll all stand in awe of his limitless ceiling.
Elsewhere in freakish athletic happenings, Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a career-high 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting, highlighted by a slick spin move that beautifully transitioned into a powerful two-handed slam:
Marc Wins the Brotherly Battle
Pau Gasol recorded his league-leading 42nd double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds), but it wasn't enough to push the Chicago Bulls past his brother Marc and the Memphis Grizzlies.
In a display of dominance, Marc Gasol finished with a game-high 23 points, four rebounds and four assists, as Memphis handed Chicago its third straight loss, 101-91.
Tony Snell (21 points) helped fuel a comeback that gave the Bulls an 88-84 lead, but Memphis responded with a 17-3 run over the game's final six minutes to convincingly rebound from Saturday's loss to the Pelicans.
Chicago will be presented with relief in the form of a showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, but a daunting slate that includes the Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors looms on the horizon.
Washington Conquers its Road Demons
After dropping nine straight contests away from the Verizon Center, the Washington Wizards trounced the Charlotte Hornets 95-69 for their largest road triumph of the season.
Despite John Wall acknowledging that "I haven’t been myself since the All-Star break," according to The Washington Post's Jorge Castillo, Washington's leading man looked spry. In 29 minutes, he tallied 15 points (7-of-11 shooting), nine assists and three steals.
Marcin Gortat led the way with 20 points, while Bradley Beal added 14, five rebounds and three dimes. Washington was horribly off from distance, though, converting on 14.3 percent of its triples.
Fresh off of his Eastern Conference Player of the Week selection, Mo Williams totaled 19 points and seven assists for the Hornets. Since arriving in Charlotte, Williams is averaging 21.4 points and 8.5 helpers.
By virtue of the Miami Heat's 100-90 loss to the Boston Celtics, Charlotte maintained the feeblest of grips on the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed.
The Hassan Honeymoon is Over
It was all going so well for Hassan Whiteside. The record rebounding totals were generating boatloads of praise and the Heat had seemingly turned trash into treasure.
Unfortunately, the unpredictable temper that made teams wary of signing him in the past reared its ugly head yet again against the Boston Celtics after he blindsided Kelly Olynyk with a cheap shot:
Whiteside was subsequently slapped with a flagrant-2 and ejected for the second time this season. According to The Palm Beach Post's Jason Lieser, Whiteside's frustration has been boiling over lately:
As the Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman pointed out, Whiteside has already forked over quite a bit of dough to the league office, with more on the way:
For a player signed to the league minimum, that's not chump change.
Dwyane Wade poured in a game-high 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting, but Miami was blitzed, 42-24, in the paint after Whiteside hit the showers early.
Clippers, Warriors Hold Serve
Shortly after Atlanta entered the 50-win club, the Golden State Warriors followed suit with a 98-80 thumping of the Phoenix Suns.
According to GSWStats on Twitter, Golden State’s won 50 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history:
Following a 1-of-5 start from three, Stephen Curry caught fire in the second half and finished with a game-high 36 points (14-of-24 shooting, 7-of-13 from three).
Klay Thompson tacked on 25 points (8-of-19 shooting) while Draymond Green double-doubled to the tune of 11 points and 10 boards.
In addition to a second straight effort characterized by offensive ineptitude, Phoenix point guard Brandon Knight was forced to depart in the second quarter after suffering what appeared to be a nasty left ankle injury.
The Los Angeles Clippers held serve as well, squashing the Minnesota Timberwolves, 89-76.
And Chris Paul scored just two points.
He did assist on 15 of the Clippers’ 35 made baskets, but Monday marked just the ninth time in Paul’s career that he scored two points or less, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick picked up the slack with 26 and 20 points, respectively, and Jordan pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds.
That’s one way to snap a two-game losing streak.
Mixed News on the Injury Front
In a season littered with injuries to superstars, optimism has been hard to come by on the medical front.
That changed ever so slightly Monday evening when Derrick Rose and Chris Bosh addressed reporters prior to their teams' respective contests.
According to ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell, Rose refused to put a precise time frame on his return, although he remains confident that Chicago will see him on the hardwood again this season:
As for Bosh, Skolnick passed along word from the Miami Heat that its max-contract centerpiece should be ready to go when the 2015-16 season gets underway after being treated for blood clots in his lungs:
Sklonick also noted that a definitive return date will help the team's outlook in free agency:
On a less encouraging note, the Philadelphia 76ers may be headed back down a path they're all too familiar with.
According to The Intelligencer's Tom Moore, prized center Joel Embiid is back in a walking boot:
CSNPhilly.com's Dei Lynam added that "a league source close to Embiid is unaware of any setback, but told CSNPhilly.com that the center would be in Los Angeles on Tuesday for a checkup with his doctor."
Hold your breath, Philadelphia.
Quote of the Night
Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri is well aware of the NBA's tampering rules, so he chose his words carefully when asked which player he'd like to add in an ideal world, according to the National Post's Eric Koreen:
"One player, other than LBJ, who Masai could add: "We all know who he is, but I won't say his name. He might be Canadian."
— Eric Koreen (@ekoreen) March 10, 2015"
We're going to go out on a limb and guess he's not talking about Anthony Bennett.
