There was plenty of evidence in numbers, but one didn’t need a box score from the Hawks’ 112-108 loss Monday night to the Knicks to see that something was amiss. A telltale sign came 14 seconds into the second half when Mike Budenholzer called a timeout.
His players appeared bored, almost as if they’d rather be napping until the playoffs arrive.
After watching his team allow the league’s lowest scoring squad to build a 62-49 halftime lead on 57.1 percent shooting from both the field (24-of-42) and on 3-pointers (8-of-14), Atlanta’s head coach quickly saw enough to stomp on the court as his team ran its first offensive set of the third quarter.
“We messed up on a play,” Jeff Teague said after tying Kyle Korver for Atlanta scoring honors with 19 points. “That was like the whole tone of the game. We just weren’t into it, we were a step off. He got into us.”
The Hawks (60-21) would go on to make quite a run at the lowly Knicks (17-64) with all starters except for Paul Millsap back after taking Sunday’s game in Washington off, and Teague even had a shot to tie the game late.
For a long time, though, New York played as if it, not Atlanta, was the No. 1 seed in the East rather than anchoring last place in the conference.
The Hawks started well enough, making their first four shots on the way to an 11-2 lead. For a good while from that point, there was little to cheer as the Knicks went about far surpassing their averages of 91.7 points and 42.7 percent shooting.
“We just kind of showed up, and I didn’t think we played with much purpose,” Korver said. “Give them credit; they shot the ball well and played really hard. I didn’t think we approached the game that way.”
Atlanta’s four regular starters each played at least 33 minutes so this one can’t be chalked up to the absence of front-liners.
The bigger problem was the lack of defense.
New York guards Langston Galloway (career-high 26 points) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (23) lit up Atlanta on a combined 19-of-29 shooting, and Galloway sure didn’t look like a rookie while making all six of his 3-pointers.
Budenholzer isn’t ready to sound a public alarm.
The Hawks were without Millsap (strained right shoulder) for the fifth straight game, and missing backup big man Pero Antic (illness) and backup point guard Dennis Schroder (rest).
At least when reserve power forward Mike Scott went down hard midway through the fourth quarter, he apparently was not injured seriously. He landed on his left elbow and forearm, and later returned.
“We know we have to play better, but I think there’s enough time,” Budenholzer said. “I’m not too concerned.”
Korver’s four-point play started the fourth quarter in style, and when Shelvin Mack drained a 3-pointer, Atlanta pulled even at 87-all with 9:49 left in the game.
The Knicks quickly made three consecutive 3-pointers.
Again, the Hawks worked their way back to trail 110-108 when Teague missed a runner with 9.3 seconds left.
“I’ll take that shot every day,” Teague said. “It’s nothing to panic over. I like playing in the postseason. The atmosphere is always amazing, and I think guys are going to be ready for it.”
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