Five things we learned about the Hawks on Friday:
1. The Hawks were without DeAndre Bembry for Friday night's game at the Raptors. The rookie did not make the trip to Toronto for personal reasons. He is expected to rejoin the Hawks for Saturday's home game against the Hornets.
2. Tim Hardaway Jr. will start at least the next two games at shooting guard. Coach Mike Budenholzer said the plan is to bring starter Kent Bazemore back cautiously after he missed two games with a sore right knee.
3. Paul Millsap will play against the Raptors after he missed the matchup in Toronto two weeks ago, part of three games he did not play due to a sore left hip. The Raptors recorded a lopsided win. Budenholzer said the return of Millsap will help in the rematch but the team needs every player.
“He obviously has a big role for us and can do a lot of things – scoring, facilitating and probably as important defensive he brings a lot of versatility there,” Budenholzer said. “But I don’t think Paul is going to ride in on a horse and save the day. All of us, including Paul, will have to bring a high level of performance tonight.”
4. Budenholzer and players fondly remembered long-time TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager, who passed away Thursday at the age of 65 after a battle with leukemia.
“The years that he probably impacted the most people were the years that he was sick,” Kyle Korver said. “That’s an amazing thing.”
5. The Hawks acquired the draft rights to Lucas Nogueira in 2013 with the seven-foot center seen as a project. They traded him to the Raptors in 2014. After some injuries, Nogueira has become a valuable part of the Raptors rotation.
“He’s coming,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said Friday. “He’s growing. These are the most consistent minutes he’s had. … When he’s on the floor, our defense has been pretty good just because of his ability to block shots and protect the rim. He’s growing, every day, every game, he’s getting better and better and better. This time last year, he wasn’t in the rotation because we had Jonas (Valanaciunas) and Bismack (Biyombo). Now, he’s a big part of our second unit. Sometimes, at the end of games with the right matchup he might be in there too because he does have the ability to get out on the floor and guard some stretch fives.”
About the Author
