Atlanta Hawks: Grades From Thrilling 110-108 Win Over Thunder

PG. Atlanta Hawks. DENNIS SCHRODER. A+. Dennis Schroder was fantastic. The Thunder had no answer for him defensively, Schroder was getting into the lane at will. Schroder is at his best when he’s getting to the rim, whipping passes to shooters in the corner, and knocking down the occasional jumper. He did all those things against the Thunder. Schroder ended his night with 31 points, eight assists, and five rebounds on 10-for-16 from the field. He was also 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. If Schroder plays like this for the rest of the season there’s no way the Hawks will find themselves back below .500.

Atlanta Hawks. KENT BAZEMORE. B-. It was a rough start to the evening for Kent Bazemore. Bazemore made his return to the starting lineup, but it didn’t look like he was ready just yet. He looked hesitant with his jumper and reckless with his drives to the basket. He was sound defensively, as usual, but something was off offensively. In the third quarter he came to life, serving as a point guard in certain lineups, creating for himself and his teammates out of pick and roll sets. A rough fourth quarter that featured some questionable shot selection and costly turnovers rounded out his overall performance. He finished the game with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Bazemore gained confidence as the game progressed, which is something to monitor moving forward. He may not be all the way back to being the player he was last season, but he’s finding his rhythm. Slowly but surely.. SG

SG. Atlanta Hawks. KYLE KORVER. B+. It was a good, if low-key until the very end, performance from Kyle Korver. Temporarily back in the starting lineup due to Dwight Howard’s injury, Korver scored eight points on 3-for-6 shooting and 2-for-4 from three-point range. Korver was in a sharing mood for most of the night. He finished with six assists, the most important one coming late in the fourth quarter. Korver made a perfect pass to Paul Millsap just before his game-winning shot. Korver has been playing well lately, showing he still has something to contribute to this team.

B+. Thabo Sefolosha was tasked with guarding Russell Westbrook for much of the evening. That didn’t go particularly well, but that doesn’t go well for anyone. At least he made him work for his points On offense Sefolosha was an efficient 6-for-10 from the field totaling 15 points. He also nabbed six rebounds serving as a power forward in small-ball lineups. Sefolosha’s insertion into the starting lineup was a polarizing issue, but it seems to be working. For now Sefolosha should continue to start. He’s been Atlanta’s most consistent wing player this season.. SF. Atlanta Hawks. THABO SEFOLOSHA

Atlanta Hawks. PAUL MILLSAP. A+. In case you’ve forgotten, Paul Millsap is really good at playing basketball. That’s convenient because he happens to be a professional basketball player. Millsap torched the Thunder for 30 points on 12-for-18 shooting, showing off all the traits of his versatile offensive game. He knocked down mid-range jumpers, he got to the rim, he unleashed floaters in the middle of the lane, and he shot 3-for-5 from three-point range. Millsap got buckets and he got them with ease. He also got the most important bucket, scoring the game-winning shot with just ten seconds left in the contest. Millsap is Atlanta’s best player and I imagine the Oklahoma City Thunder agree.. PF