Sports

Hawks: Budenholzer benches Prince again

102715 ATLANTA: -- A new Hawks logo is painted on the tunnel wall leading out to the court for the first regular season basketball game "home opener" on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, in Atlanta.  Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
102715 ATLANTA: -- A new Hawks logo is painted on the tunnel wall leading out to the court for the first regular season basketball game "home opener" on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
April 4, 2018

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer benched starting forward Taurean Prince for the second half of his team’s loss at the Heat on Tuesday.

“Just a coach’s decision,” Budenhozler said in his postgame interview on Fox Sports Southeast.

The Hawks had just eight healthy players available for the game because of injuries and G League assignments. In addition to benching Prince, Bundeholzer didn’t play forward Antonius Cleveland at all.

Those decisions left the Hawks with a seven-man rotation in the second half. The Hawks faded to a 101-98 loss when the Heat scored the game’s final 11 points.

It’s the second time this season that Budenholzer benched Prince. The coach didn’t play Prince for the second half of a loss at the Pacers on March 9. His explanation also was the same: “Just a coach’s decision.”

About the Author

Michael Cunningham has covered Atlanta sports for the AJC since 2010.

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