LAS VEGAS — The Hawks have one Summer League game under their belt.
They downed the Heat 105-98 after a big outing from third-year guard Kobe Bufkin, who helped navigate the Hawks through the roller coaster of an NBA game. Bufkin’s leadership kept Atlanta steady in the second half of the fourth quarter and allowed it to erase a 13-point deficit.
Bufkin had 29 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks in 26 minutes.
Here are three takeaways.
1. Hawks rookie Asa Newell made his NBA debut Friday. He ended the day with 8 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.
He showed flashes of solid play, knocking down a 3-pointer 42 seconds into the game. He then provided good help defense on the other end and rotated into a passing lane for a steal.
“I mean, it was great,” Newell said. “And I have fantastic teammates out there. Great coaching staff helped me throughout the way. But, you know, this is what the Summer League is for to shake the rust off. You know, it’s my first competitive game since March Madness. And, I had a lot of fun out there.”
2. After signing a standard contract earlier in the day, Hawks second-round pick Nikola Djurisic also had some positive moments from the game.
Djurisic had 8 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal. His outing included a couple of flashy dribbles into the midrange before pulling up for a couple of fadeaway jumpers.
While Djurisic had a solid offensive outing, the 21-year-old racked up the fouls. In Summer League, players foul out after receiving 10 personal fouls. Djurisic ended the day with eight.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
“I don’t really worry about the fouls,” Hawks Summer League coach Bryan Bailey said. “I think the big thing for me throughout this whole thing, this whole process, is preaching to the guys, be physical. Let’s pick up after that. We can tone back a little bit. So he was physical throughout the game, and he was defending.”
3. The Hawks have two players signed to two-way contracts, and the team felt their impact late in the game.
Jacob Toppin, who signed his qualifying offer on Thursday, scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds. His 6 points in the final four minutes sparked the Hawks’ late-game push and helped put them ahead for the first time since the first half.
Eli Ndiaye flashed the experience he gained as a professional in Spain. He scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting and knocked down a 3-pointer, giving the Hawks the lead for good.
Up Next: The Hawks face the Suns on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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