Five observations from the Hawks’ 112-97 victory over the Rockets Saturday at Philips Arena.
1. The Hawks wanted to win for Dwight Howard. The center wouldn't admit it but teammates knew how important the game was against his former team. After playing for the Rockets the past three seasons, Howard got a matchup with his new squad. He finished with a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds, with 11 points and nine rebounds in the fourth quarter.
Howard brushed off any notion of wanting this victory more than any other. Kyle Korver did not.
“We know that Dwight wanted to win tonight,” Korver said. “We wanted to play well for him. … He showed up in a nice suit tonight. I’ll let you come to your own conclusions. That is the first time I’ve seen him wear a suit.”
2. Kent Bazemore had his breakout game. The small forward has struggled with his shot early in the season. He entered the game with just 13 field goals on 47 attempts. Bazemore finished with a season-high 20 points on 7 of 12 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
Bazemore hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the third quarter that pushed the Hawks lead to 12 points and they cruised from there.
“I can’t do anything but smile,” Bazemore said. “You are even more motivated when you see that the work that you put in will surely surface. It’s easy to hang your head and turn down shots. But my teammates kept telling me to shot. Coaches kept telling me to shoot. Sometimes, you have to shoot your way through. It’s only one game.”
3. The Hawks did an admirable job of defending James Harden. The Rockets star finished with 30 points but only six came after halftime. Harden was one assist shy of a triple-double. Thabo Sefolosha and Bazemore drew much of the defensive assignment on Harden but the Hawks used different schemes, including some double-teams.
“It’s definitely a team job when we guard a guy like this,” Sefolosha said. “They run so many pick-and-rolls for him. He’s great at looking for his teammates and picking his spots. We did a good job. Our length bothered him. We kept coming from behind to try to bother the shots.”
4. The Hawks steal machine continued. They entered the game with an NBA-leading 11.4 steals per game. They had 16 steals against the Rockets, including 10 in the first half.
Paul Millsap had five steals and Bazemore and Sefolosha had three steals apiece.
“To be honest, for me, it’s my 11th season,” Sefolosha said. “I understand the game and where to position myself defensively to take space and bother the passing lane. We’ve been good. A lot of guys to be focused and get those steals.”
5. Howard has 12 blocks this season. He likely should have one more. The Rockets' K.J. McDaniels tried to dunk over Howard late in the second quarter. Howard stopped the attempt with his left hand, sending McDaniels to the floor when his momentum was abruptly stopped. Howard was called for a foul on the play – an infraction that sent the Philips Arena crowd into a booing frenzy. Bazemore slapped Howard in the chest several times in celebration.
Before the start of the second half, Howard hugged referee Bill Spooner. Howard said after the game that the official admitted his missed the call and apologized.
“I just wanted to give him a hug, let him know that everybody makes mistakes and let him know that I love him,” Howard said. “… He just said it wasn’t the right call. Everybody makes mistakes. We miss shots. People miss plays. Y’all misspell words sometimes. It’s a part of life. You have to keep moving.”
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