Justin Holiday didn’t want to be left out of the Hawks’ block party.
The team recorded 10 blocks in a 101-87 win over the Nets on Wednesday. Kent Bazemore had two rejections in a span of 44 seconds of the first quarter, first turning back Thaddeus Young and then Joe Johnson. Remarkably, Al Horford had a block of a Jarrett Jack shot in between those two denials.
Holiday finished as the team leader with four blocked shots.
“The ball seems to fall in your lap when you are playing hard,” Holiday said after the win. “A lot of times I’m getting pump-faked and trying to get back in the play, and it just happens to work out that way. It’s just be trying to be active and give everything I have. Really, I’m trying to be like Baze. Baze got those two early, and I was like ‘I’ve got to get some blocks, too.’ I tried to follow suit.”
Holiday has inserted himself into the Hawks’ wing rotation over the past two games. The guard played a season-high 29 minutes against the Nets. He also played 13 minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Heat. Holiday had only one other appearance of 13 minutes against the Knicks and did not play (coach’s decision) in the Hawks’ other three games.
In the Hawks’ still-evolving wing rotation, Thabo Sefolosha has been a solid all-around contributor behind Bazemore at small forward. The Hawks are not playing Sefolosha in back-to-back games, including Wednesday, as he returns from offseason surgery for a broken right leg and ligament damage in his ankle.
Lamar Patterson got the early playing time at the position, but that has declined over the past two games in favor of Holiday. Tim Hardaway Jr. has yet to play this season and Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has suggested on several occasions, while noting the competition at the position, that Hardaway is still learning and getting comfortable in a new system.
The Hawks’ rotation could again be altered in Friday’s game against the Pelicans. It’s the start of another back-to-back with the Wizards at home Saturday, and the end of a stretch of four games in five nights.
“He’s gotten a couple of opportunities and taken advantage of those opportunities,” Budenholzer said of Holiday. “We went with him tonight without Kyle (Korver) suiting up. He got more minutes and more opportunities.
“I think it’s his defense, his activity and his length. He’s making some shots and making some plays. We’ve got a good group there with wings all fighting for opportunity. Tonight, Justin got his and took advantage of it.”
Holiday has scored 13 points in the past two games, including six against the Nets. He made a fourth-quarter 3-pointer against the Heat. In averaging 5.0 points, he is a combined 7-of-18 from the field and 1-of-8 from 3-point range. Holiday said he believes his shot will eventually start to fall. However, he knows in the Hawks’ system it’s all about defense first.
“The shot may not always fall, which it hasn’t for me,” Holiday said. “In the past two games it hasn’t fallen for me the way I feel it usually does. I can handle my effort defensively. I can help my team that way every time defensively, making sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and making sure I’m helping.
“At the same time, I know those guys have my back as well. Playing defense, getting my hands on balls. And then offense, moving the ball and shooting the open shot, which I’m going to do every time. It will eventually fall. But defensively is where it all starts.”
The 6-foot-6 Holiday has taken advantage of his length on defense, an attribute coveted in Budenholzer’s system. The coach’s postgame comments Wednesday included praise for Holiday’s “multiple efforts” and “multiple contests.” The four blocks were a career-high for Holiday. He added two assists, a rebound and a steal to his effort.
“I think he’s similar (to Bazemore) in that I think he really helps us defensively with his length,” Budenholzer said. “He kind of can be everywhere on the court. He’s great in some of our principles, understanding how important the weak side is and each role and responsibility on a given play.”
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