PORTLAND, Ore. -- Paced by fleet guards Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis and undersized in the front court, the Warriors are one of the faster teams in the NBA.
But the Hawks have one player who can run with them, so coach Larry Drew turned Jeff Teague loose, and he responded. Teague's defensive work against Curry, his playmaking in the half court and his speed in the open court helped spark the Hawks to a 95-79 victory at the Warriors late Friday.
Not everything went smoothly for Teague, who had three turnovers and was 2-of-9 from the field. But Drew said he's not worried about Teague's miscues so long as he plays to his strengths.
"I'm not concerned [whether] he makes or misses shots," Drew said after the Hawks snapped their losing streak at three games. "I want him being a threat every time he is out there. The biggest threat for him is when he utilizes his speed and his quickness and when he harasses people defensively."
Teague has started both games since Mike Bibby was traded to Washington. He's expected to return to a bench role once new acquisition Kirk Hinrich is more comfortable with the offense, but he is taking advantage of his chance.
Teague's ability to get to the basket, push the pace and defend point guards was key for the Hawks in games against Phoenix and Golden State. He finished with six assists and three steals Friday.
"I'm getting comfortable," Teague said. "If I make mistakes, as long as you play hard, [Drew] allows you to play through that."
The Hawks were noticeably more sound on defense as Teague played a season-high 26 minutes and Hinrich logged 17. Bibby's struggles to defend dribble penetration had been a major issue and was the primary motivation behind the trade for Hinrich.
Curry, one of the better young talents in the NBA, seemed especially flummoxed by Teague's aggressive defense. He didn't take a shot until 8:08 of the second quarter, when the Warriors trailed 61-39.
"[Teague] picked up the point guard full court and really had a big impact because he was able to get over screens," center Al Horford said. "That's something we struggled with in the past, our guards getting over screens. Hopefully he will keep that level of play up."
Ripping and running
The Warriors have a pretty good offense, but the Hawks' defense made them look awful. Golden State shot just 37 percent from the field, including 2-of-12 on 3-pointers, marks well below their norm.
"I felt we really made an effort to contest and challenge every shot," Horford said. "It's a little frustrating for me because I wish we played like this all the time. I hope there is no looking back now. We saw how we can play, so we have to be able to keep that up."
The Hawks' effective defense and rebounding led to easy scoring chances in transition. The Hawks scored 27 fast-break points and 22 points off Golden State's 24 turnovers.
Etc.
Drew said there's a "strong possibility" he could make changes to the starting lineup in addition to eventually inserting Hinrich, but didn't offer specifics. ... Hinrich still is getting acclimated, but Drew said he may start Sunday against Portland because his size (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) makes him better suited than Teague (6-2, 180) for the assignment against Andre Miller, Portland's physical point guard.
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