Kyle Korver Pushes The Hawks Over The Finish Line
In their first game of the playoffs, the 60 win Atlanta Hawks team played an uneven game as they struggled in predictable areas against the taller Brooklyn Nets. They failed to rebound the ball with the type of aggression they have played with in the past and were beaten on the boards by 8. More discouraging was the Hawks 19 assists. Their identity all year long was ball sharing but in game 1 the Nets took them out of their most fundamental advantage.
Paul Millsap was very, very ordinary, missing 9 out of 11 shots. Al Horford, in his return to the playoffs, was stable as always but dislocated his finger late in the third quarter and was never the same after he returned. Dennis Schroder made some great plays and some reckless plays, in a mixed bag performance. Jeff Teague was in foul trouble during much of the game but made key plays late. DeMarre Carroll’s defensive intensity won’t appear in the box score but he was tough all night long and had 17 points.
"Coach Bud said, “When you’re playing a player like Joe Johnson, it’s great to have a guy like DeMarre out there.”"
Kyle Korver was a bright spot. He set up behind screens, he dove for balls, his infectious aggression translated into the type of energy playoff teams need when they are going through scoring droughts. Korver led the Hawks in scoring with 21 points, 50% shooting. The only thing he did wrong was miss one free throw in the first quarter.
"“There’s obviously a lot of things we can get better at”, Korver said once the game was over, acknowledging the obvious. “We’re not just one person. We’re not playing hero ball. They’re a lot of nights when guys don’t play well. We’ll keep working the system, move the ball. Our focus in game 2 is rebounding as a group.”"
Apr 19, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) shoots a three point shot against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Nets 99-92. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Despite Korver’s ability to get his shot off, it was a four point game with two minutes left. Jeff Teague scored on a runner. Deron Williams cut the lead to 5 with a corner three. With 26 seconds left, Williams missed on a three and DeMarre Carroll pounced on the rebound.
No one is beating the Hawks by fouling them and the Hawks took a 1-0 series lead by beating Brooklyn by 7 points.
Coach Bud was happy with his players effort, even though they had up and down moments.
"“A lot of guys made plays. Teague made free throws down the stretch. It’s a credit to our guys to step up and make free throws through the entire game. Dennis had a good overall game. Mike Scott had a big bucket. Pero contributed.”"
When asked about Al Horford’s injury, Coach Bud said the X-ray’s were negative. He also didn’t read much into Paul Millsap’s poor performance.
"“No concern about Paul and his shoulder. He impacts the game in so many ways. It happens to everybody. He’s fine.”"
Coach Bud has to deal with this sobering reality if the Hawks want a long playoff run. They were one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the NBA this year. That can’t continue. “We need to be better on the offensive boards.”
In his return to Atlanta, Joe Johnson had 17 points on 17 shots which is what DeMarre Carroll wanted.
"“Joe is a great player. He’s tough. We made it difficult for him and made other guys get involved. Our defense was great.”"
Post-game, Johnson was his usual humble self as he congratulated Jeff Teague and Al Horford on the team’s success, noting in particular the crowd which he called “hostile.” Every time he touched the ball he was booed but he said it didn’t affect him.
"“We gave ourselves a great chance to win. If we take care of the basketball and stay close and give ourselves a chance late, we’ll be alright. We were horrible from three. We’ll make adjustments, keep working, keep grinding.”"
A lot of post-game discussion revolved around the Nets refusal to milk their one key advantage in this series, Brook Lopez. He only had seven shots. After reading the stat sheet, DeMarre Carroll was shocked. “I thought he took more shots than that.”
Expect the adjustment in game 2 to center around Brook Lopez and for the Hawks to get more physical play on the glass.
The Hawks are up 1-0 but Kyle Korver put it into perspective.
"“I’ve been in so many games where the team who won game 1 didn’t win the series. As a team we have to understand that”."