A recap of the Hawks’ 119-105 victory over the Nuggets on Monday:
Noteworthy
* The Hawks had five players in double-digit scoring with Paul Millsap (22), Al Horford (18), Dennis Schroder (15), Jeff Teague (12) and Tiago Splitter (10). Kent Bazemore, Kyle Korver and Mike Scott each had nine points.
* Danilo Gallinari had 15 points for the Nuggets, nine from the free-throw line.
* Hawks starters were a combined plus-71.
* Millsap led the Hawks with a plus-20.
* The two teams combined to go 42 of 45 from the free-throw line.
* Tiago Splitter hit a 22-footer in the fourth quarter, his longest make of the season.
* The Hawks were only outrebounded by one, 43-42.
* Nuggets starters Gallinari, Gary Harris and Emmanuel Mudiay all had three turnovers.
Key stat
61.1 percent
Hawks’ first-quarter shooting percentage (11 of 18) which included making nine of their first 11 shots. They took a one-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back
Quote of the game
“Everybody realizes were are at the point now where we have to fix something. I think everybody came out ready. Everybody started from the tip. Everybody was engaged. That’s what we need. We are great when we do that.” – Dennis Schroder
Report card
Offense: A
The Hawks shot 58.5 percent in the first half. Their 66 first-half points matched a season-high. The scored 29 or more points in three quarters. The 119 points were the sixth-highest this season. The point guard play was excellent.
Defense: B
The Nuggets started hot making nine of their first 11 shots. The Hawks clamped down after that, including holding the Nuggets to 20 second-quarter points. The Hawks forced 15 turnovers that led to 22 points.
About the Author
