FOUR ALL-STARS
The Hawks became the eighth team in NBA All-Star Game history with four representatives.
2014-15 Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford, Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague
2010-11 Boston Celtics
Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo
2005-06 Detroit Pistons
Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace
1997-98 L.A. Lakers
Kobe Bryant, Eddie Jones, Shaquille O’Neal, Nick Van Exel
1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers
Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney
1974-75 Boston Celtics
John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Jo Jo White, Paul Silas
1961-62 Boston Celtics
Tom Heinsohn, Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones
1961-62 L.A. Lakers
Elgin Baylor, Frank Selvy, Jerry West, Rudy LaRusso
They asked for it. They got it.
It didn’t take long – just 8:32 into the action – for all four Hawks to take to the court together in the NBA All-Star Game Sunday.
The Hawks quartet made the most of their stint of 3:28 first-quarter minutes. They combined for 13 points – Kyle Korver (9), Al Horford (2) and Jeff Teague (2). Only Paul Millsap did not score in the initial pairing.
In the end, the West defeated the East, 163-158, Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
Russell Westbrook was named Most Valuable Player as he led the West with a game-high 41 points. He finished one point shy of the All-Star Game record of 42 points set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. Westbrook was 16 of 28 from the field, including five 3-pointers. The West also got 29 points from James Harden.
LeBron James led the East with 30 points and tied Kobe Bryant for the most career All-Star Game points.
As for the Hawks:
* Korver was the East’s second-leading scorer and finished with 21 points in his All-Star debut. A night after his disappointing performance in the 3-Point Contest, he has seven 3-pointers, one shy of the All-Star Game record of eight set by Carmelo Anthony last year in New Orleans. He was 7 of 12 from 3-point range and played 15:35 with a rebound and assist.
“Ah, c’mon Bud, put me back in the game,” Korver joked about head coach Mike Budenholzer when informed of the near miss. “No. I left some out there. I had some wide open ones. It’s OK.”
* Teague had 14 points (6 of 9 shooting), two assists, two steals and a rebound in his 13:27 in his first All-Star Game. Teague said he regretting a two-handed dunk to close out one of his steals.
“I wished when I stole the ball I would have wind-milled instead of that regular dunk,” Teague dead-panned. “I’m disappointed I didn’t give the fans a little more.”
* Horford finished with eight points, seven rebounds and on assist in 13:30.
* Millsap had five points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in 15:35.
In total, the Hawks accounted for 47 points, 30 percent of the East’s offense.
“It’s always fun when you have teammates to enjoy the experience with you,” Millsap said of his second straight All-Star Game. “Second time around was a little easier. The first time around I had some jitters. This was easier.”
Hawks coach Budenholzer, leading the East team, had Horford as the first to enter the game with 4:59 remaining in the first quarter. Just 1:31 later he sent teammates Korver, Millsap and Teague to the scorer’s table. Kyrie Irving had the distinction of playing along the Hawks.
“I thought we would all go out at the same time,” Korver said. “I asked Bud before the game and he said he had a plan put in place and we’d be out there together quite a bit.”
Horford came out to start the second quarter to break up the quartet. By the end of the first half, the Hawks combined for 22 on the East’s 82 points (27 percent) as all four played seven minutes.
The four Hawks played together again in the second half. They played the final 4:56 of the third quarter, first with LeBron James and then with Jimmy Butler.
“I wanted to run our sets, wanted to run a few plays,” Millsap said. “Then I realized it’s the All-Star Game.”
The Hawks made quite a showing in New York with four players and the coaching staff in the midseason exhibition. They also competed in several of the Saturday night contests and made public appearances. Teague even appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
“We were hand signaling to run a couple plays but you really weren’t running any plays out there,” Korver said. “It was up and down and free. It was great for the Hawks, great for Atlanta. We had a bunch of people here this weekend, coaching staff, players, all different events. It was pretty cool.”
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