Game Thread: Knicks @ Hawks (AKA the Teal Dove Game)

Post #3 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Nov 15, 2023 3:30 pm

Hawks hope to stay hot against Knicks

After a lackluster start to the season, the Atlanta Hawks have a chance to earn their seventh win in nine tries when they host the New York Knicks on Wednesday. The Hawks lost their first two games of the season, including a 126-120 home defeat against the Knicks on Oct. 27.

Atlanta has lost just twice since then, and its continued offensive success has played a major role. The Hawks are coming off a 126-120 road victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday that saw them win without leading scorer Trae Young, who missed the game due to the birth of his daughter. Filling Young's scoring absence was Dejounte Murray, who led the team with 32 points. After trailing Detroit by one point with less than two minutes remaining, Atlanta finished the game on a 10-3 run to cement its first NBA in-season tournament win.

"I thought both teams really competed," Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said. "I think it was a nod to the in-season tournament, as far as the focus and the competition goes. "For us, it's all about our defense. Our offense has to help our defense, and I thought Dejounte on the ball tonight was maybe the biggest contribution he made. He played well."

Every Atlanta player who played Tuesday scored, including former Piston Saddiq Bey, who put up 19 points off the bench -- 11 in the fourth quarter. The Knicks are looking to bounce back from an uncharacteristically poor defensive performance in a 16-point loss to the Celtics on Monday. New York gave up 114 points, the most it has allowed since the win over the Hawks in October.

Coach Tom Thibodeau's team prides itself on defense, a side of the ball that allowed 62 second-half points to the Celtics. "Against them a bad minute can be 10 points, and it was," Thibodeau said. "I thought we played pretty well the first half, but we didn't protect our basket right at the end of that last minute and a half."

The Knicks finally saw a glimpse of last season's Julius Randle, who had the best scoring season of his career at 25.1 points per game. After an All-Star campaign, Randle saw his shooting dip mightily to begin the season, as he is connecting on just 33.9 percent of his shots. In the Monday loss, Randle scored 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds and led the team with five assists.

"We have to play a little bit faster against a team like that, get downhill, drive and kick, spray, get them moving," said Randle, who shot just 7-for-19 from the floor. "In the end, it will always balance out and we will be fine." Similar to Atlanta, New York was also without a key player as RJ Barrett was sidelined on Monday while dealing with migraines. He is listed as questionable to play on Wednesday. The upcoming contest is the latest edition of the Atlanta-New York rivalry that was amplified in the 2021 Eastern Conference playoffs. Since losing that best-of-seven series in five games, the Knicks have had the Hawks' number, winning six of nine matchups, including four of five in Atlanta.

Field Level Media

jayu70 · Post #4 » by **jayu70** » Wed Nov 15, 2023 7:23 pm

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DirtybirdGA · Post #5 » by **DirtybirdGA** » Wed Nov 15, 2023 7:53 pm

I like that stats graphic... I wouldn't think I'd see Trae ahead of DJ in SPG.

Post #6 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Nov 15, 2023 7:58 pm

I'm expecting a legendary type performance from Trae tonight.

At Home. Versus the Knicks. New kid just born.

I'd love to see a career high in assists!!!

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jayu70 wrote:

jayu70 · Post #7 » by **jayu70** » Wed Nov 15, 2023 8:17 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:
I'd love to see a career high in assists tonight

For that to happen it requires players to hit shots - we are missing too many WIDE OPEN looks.

jayu70 · Post #8 » by **jayu70** » Wed Nov 15, 2023 9:06 pm

I guess Wesley Matthews plays tonight since he sat out last night. We will need his toughness and defense.

jayu70 · Post #9 » by **jayu70** » Thu Nov 16, 2023 3:31 am

jayu70 wrote:
Jamaaliver wrote:
I'd love to see a career high in assists tonight

For that to happen it requires players to hit shots - we are missing too many WIDE OPEN looks.

Not a career high but 17 assists.

atlantabbq99 · Post #10 » by **atlantabbq99** » Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:21 pm

The Hawks are a good and very deep team, but the biggest difference between this year's team and the 2014-15 team is defense.

The 2014-15 team was a top 5 defensive team. So far this year's team defense is ranked 20th.

This all comes down to poor coaching and you can tell Snyder doesn't care and stress defense.

DirtybirdGA · Post #11 » by **DirtybirdGA** » Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:50 pm

Missed it, but what a crappy finish, they got a get a real center.

Post #12 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:00 pm

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Post #13 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:35 pm

Actual offensive wizardry by Thibs.

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jayu70 · Post #14 » by **jayu70** » Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:45 pm

Clint with 3 rebounds. Yikes.
Quin should have kept at least one of Bogi or Bey or even both in the game. Hunter was useless.

Post #15 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:37 pm

Post #16 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Nov 16, 2023 3:49 pm

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Spoiler:

jayu70 · Post #17 » by **jayu70** » Fri Nov 17, 2023 5:18 am

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Post #18 » by **HMFFL** » Fri Nov 17, 2023 5:44 am

Being out rebounded was a big problem in this game for us. The Knicks had two players that had double digit rebonds and another player that had 9.

OO, who only okayed 21 minutes, had 6 rebs.

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Post #19 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri Nov 17, 2023 1:13 pm

HMFFL wrote:Being out rebounded was a big problem in this game for us. The Knicks had two players that had double digit rebonds and another player that had 9.

OO, who only okayed 21 minutes, had 6 rebs.

I think we might have to consider double bigs when we play NY Knicks now.

Capela and Okongwu for a stretch together -- to offset their rebounding advantage.