The Hawks scored the first point in Sunday’s exhibition game against the Grizzlies.
It would be their only lead.
Atlanta got off to a 6-for-26 shooting start and could never fully recover in a 90-82 loss to Memphis.
The Hawks trailed by as many as 17 points early in the second quarter. The deficit was 13 points at halftime. The Hawks tied the game at 57-57 with a 17-4 run to start the third quarter. Minutes later it would be tied 62-62 but that would be as close as the Hawks would get.
“The way we played in the third quarter, if we can play like that for longer stretches of the game that is what we are talking to our group about,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Playing through those cycles and playing offense to defense and defense to offense. I think there were stretches in the third quarter where you could see how we can play and what it will look like.”
You may credit DeMarre Carroll and Elton Brand for the turnaround. The newcomers gathered teammates at midcourt before the start of the second half. According to Al Horford, the veterans set the record straight.
“My biggest thing is I’m going to play hard no matter what,” Carroll said. “I wanted them to feed off me. At the same time, we are in practice and everybody is playing hard, talking to each other, getting physical with each other. Let’s do the same thing out there. It’s preseason but you have to start building winning. We just got together. We are trying to build chemistry and it starts here in preseason.”
Carroll said he then asked Brand to speak believing the words wouldn’t ring hallow coming from a 14-year veteran.
“It was just a group discussion,” Brand said. “We said ‘Let’s get into this. Let’s play with effort.’ It’s preseason but we still need to play. It’s wasn’t anything that we didn’t know. When we play hard, we’re pretty good. When we let teams attack, like any other team, we’re not that good.”
There is chemistry to build on a roster with at least seven new players.
Paul Millsap led the Hawks with a solid all-around performance. The forward had a team-high 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. Millsap suffered a sore left Achilles. He left the game with 2:16 remaining in the third quarter and did not return.
The Hawks (1-4) had no answer for the Grizzlies’ Jerryd Bayless. The guard finished with a game-high 22 points, making 8 of 9 shots including all six 3-point attempts.
“Obviously it would be good not to get in a hole early,” Budenholzer said. “There were a couple players on their team who had pretty special performances. They were lights out. Jerryd Bayless, did he ever miss?”
Just that once, coach.
Jeff Teague finished with 15 points and five assists for the Hawks. Carroll had nine points, Horford and Jared Cunningham had eight points and Kyle Korver had seven points before fouling out. Newly signed Cartier Martin struggled in his Hawks debut by shooting 1 of 12 from the field.
Eric Dawson, Royal Ivey, James Johnson and Shelvin Mack were the non-injured Hawks who did not play.
The exhibition was played in front of a sparse crowd as the Falcons played a regular-season game next door at the Georgia Dome. The Hawks host the Pacers Tuesday and end the exhibition season at the Mavericks Wednesday.
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