Soaring Down South
Fansided

Atlanta Hawks defeat the Dallas Mavericks despite many predicting otherwise

By George Jeliazkov

DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 18: The Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks tipoff for the 2017-18 regular season game on October 18, 2017 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 18: The Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks tipoff for the 2017-18 regular season game on October 18, 2017 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Coach Bud and the Atlanta Hawks kicked off their 2017-18 campaign with an emphatic 117-111 victory over opponents Dallas Mavericks in the American Airlines Center.

The Hawks and 1-0! The Hawks are 1-0! The Hawks are 1-0! The excitement surrounding the occasion was certainly emphasized, and the Atlanta Hawks delivered by upsetting the Mavericks away from home. The team showed grit and their scrappy play earned them the nod to victory.

Coach Bud went all in and found playing time for everyone, save Tyler Dorsey, and reaped the rewards thereof. The starting 5 was the expected quintet, with Dennis Schroder leading the charge with 28 points and Taurean Prince contributing a quiet double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.

Related Story: John Collins is on a mission to prove his worth

The highlight of the night however, came from the bench in the forms of John Collins and Marco Belinelli. Collins looked as comfortable as ever in his first NBA regular season game, posting 14 points and 5 boards in 22 minutes (and also making a poster or two), while Belinelli enlightened Hawks fans of his savvy veteran status. He had a monster night off the bench, putting up 20 points on 50% shooting from the field and 4/6 from downtown.

Although prior to the game Coach Budenholzer said he would try to employ an 11-man rotation, he ended up straying from that and playing 12 different guys in the first half alone. Josh Magette was the 11th man off the bench in the first half, while Luke Babbitt earned the nod later on in the second half.

The team’s scrappy playing style led to them outrebounding the Mavericks 50 to 41 and snatching 11 steals. The Hawks were proficient from three, hitting at a 50% rate, while the Mavericks only connected on 17 of 45(!) attempts. Points in the paint were the Hawks’ bread and butter later on with Schroder driving to the lane or the big men getting up and fighting for buckets.

Coach Bud seemed pleased with his team’s performance, and will certainly be glad to start the season off on the right note.

The Hawks were certainly fortunate in some respects, like Dirk Nowitzki only going 4/14 on his field goal attempts and the fact that the rest of the Mavericks team missed a lot of open 3-point opportunities.

But don’t let that take away from the fact that Atlanta looked bright for a majority of the game, commanding a dominant lead at halftime and then not letting the Mavericks pull away when they came back from a large deficit. In the end it was the collective team effort that put them over the top in what was an exciting affair.

Next: Hawks sign guard Isaiah Taylor, roster set for opening night

It may have only been the first game of the season, but the Hawks are 1-0 and the players now have some confidence as they embark on the rest of their road journey before they return for their home opener on Oct. 27. Next on the agenda is a trip to Charlotte to face the Dwight Howard and the Hornets on Friday.

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