The Hawks earned their first win of the season on Thursday night with a 112-101 victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Here are five observations from the game:
For starters
The Hawks got a much better performance from their starters to record the win. The group struggled in the season-opening loss to the Pistons. However, they helped the Hawks to a 10-point lead after one quarter. Except for a brief Knicks run, the Hawks were in control.
Jeff Teague finished with 23 points to lead the way. Al Horford added 21 points and Kyle Korver scored 15. Paul Millsap had 11 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals. The starters were all a plus on the night with Korver a plus-22, Teague a plus-18, Kent Bazemore a plaus-17, Millsap a plus-14 and Horford a plus-5. That’s a combined plus-76.
Horford extends range
Don’t sleep on the Horford 3-pointer. He hit two straight long-range baskets, on back-to-back possessions, in the first quarter. Both came from the top of the arc. Horford worked to improve his range this summer and it has shown early. He is 3 of 7 from 3-point range through two games. He was 11 of 36 last season.
The Hawks were much improved from 3-point distance against the Knicks. They were 8 of 13 in the first half with Korver, Horford and Lamar Patterson hitting two each. They finished 10 of 24. In the season-opening loss to the Pistons, the Hawks were 8 of 27.
Korver shooting, point guards driving
Korver has his shooting touch back. Not that is was ever really gone. The guard, returning from surgeries to his ankle and elbow, has worked his way back through the preseason. Thursday he finished with 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Teague and Dennis Schroder continue to be a huge asset for the Hawks. The Knicks had no answer for their speed. They combined for 36 points, 10 assists and one turnover.
“You don’t get a break,” Teague said. “I’m going to attack the whole game. He’s going to attack.”
Patterson a regular
Patterson has gone from making the Hawks’ roster as the 15th and final player to becoming a regular part of the rotation. The former second-round pick again entered the game in the first quarter. He had eight first-half points, on 3 of 4 shooting. Patterson is clearly ahead of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Justin Holiday, who made his debut Thursday, in the rotation. Hardaway was active but did not play. Patterson’s defense had him in the game late in the fourth quarter in both games this season.
Rebounding needs work
Rebounding is still an issue for the Hawks – especially allowing offensive boards. The Knicks had 14 offensive rebounds through three quarters and 16 for the game. The Pistons had 23 offensive rebounds Tuesday. The offseason point of emphasis still needs work.
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