Horford second in contested shots for NBA playoffs

Hawks center Al Horford is second the NBA playoffs in the hustle stat of player contested shots.

Horford averages 16.0 per game for the category that tracks when a defensive player closes out and raises a hand to contest a shot prior to its release. The Heat’s Hassan Whiteside is first at 16.3 per game.

As a team, the Hawks are first in the category of team contested shots at 75.0 per game. The Spurs are second at 74.7 per game.

Horford is also tied for second in the hustle stat of player deflections at 4.0 per game. The statistics tracks when a defensive player gets his hand on the ball on a non-shot attempt. Horford is tied with the Celtics’ Jae Crowder behind the Spurs’ Danny Green at 4.3.

The Hawks are second in team deflections at 15.0 per game. The Spurs are first at 19.3 per game.

The Hawks are also fourth in team screen assists at 8.3 per game. The category tracks when an offensive player sets a screen for a teammate that directly leads to a made field goal by that teammate. The Clipper are first at 17.0 per game and the Hornets and Cavaliers are tied for second at 10.3 per game.

Other hustle statistics tracked by the NBA include player and team charges drawn and loose balls recovered. The Hawks are 10th and 12th, respectively, in those categories.