Hawks Drop Tight One to Grizzlies as Final Shot Goes Begging

In what was largely an eyesore of a game, the Atlanta Hawks lost to the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum, 96-94. The teams came in with a combined record of 14-44, and because of the relative equality between them (and similar injury problems) it was a competitive bout throughout.

Despite its competitiveness, this was a truly ugly game – highlighted by a massive 38 turnovers and 43 personal fouls combined.

The Hawks led for the vast majority of this game, but they folded when it counted in the 4^th quarter as they were unable to score on their final 5 possessions, which allowed Grizzlies hero Tyreke Evans to drive into the lane and score the final basket of the game with 1:01 left on the clock – giving the Grizz their first lead since early in the 2^nd quarter.

The Hawks had quite a few chances to tie the game late, but a series of mistakes and some lax officiating caused the Hawks to drop this close game on the road.

Individually, there were a few players that shone in this wooly performance.

Dennis Schröder stuffed the stat sheet (as is his wont) with 18 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block and a +6 box plus/minus in 36 minutes of action. His efficiency continues to drop, however, as he was only 5 of 18 from the field (27.8%) and 1 of 5 from downtown.

Taurean Prince had an incandescent performance from beyond the arc, as he nailed 5 of 8 attempts from downtown (and 6 of 14 overall) for 17 points. Taurean also had 4 rebounds, 2 steals and was a game-high +10 in BPM.

If Taurean can continue to hone his outside shot and focus on hounding opposing players on defense, he could morph into a high-level 3-and-D wing – a coveted commodity in the modern NBA.

In his second game back from injury, John Collins had a fascinating night.

Despite only logging 2 (spectacular) points on 1 of 2 shooting in 23 minutes, JC contributed to his team’s success in other important ways by nabbing 7 rebounds, blocking a career-high-tying 4 shots, swiping 2 steals and notching a career-high 4 assists.

If John the Baptist can continue his exponential growth in tough road losses without putting the ball in the basket, that is a good sign for the Hawks going forward.

Lastly, Kent Bazemore continued his recent stretch of strong games by putting in a team-high 19 points on 8 of 15 shooting with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a +9 BPM. Let’s hope this consistency can continue for Baze, whose performance is usually a barometer for the entire team’s performance on any given night.

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On the opposing side, Tyreke Evans was an absolute beast for the Grizz – putting up 22 points on 9 of 15 shooting, including an unconscious 4 of 5 from downtown. Evans was a terror on offense, overshadowing the Hawks’ great defensive effort by drilling tough shot after tough shot.

Mario Chalmers was also a major factor in the Hawks’ downfall. Chalmers scored 10 of his 16 points in the final frame and notched a game-high 4 steals, and he seemed to be everywhere on the court in the 4^th. Giving up this performance is not a good look for the Hawks, as Chalmers wasn’t even in the league last year but looked to be a world-beater on this night.

This dispiriting loss comes ahead of a two-game layoff for the Hawks, who return home for a game against the Miami Heat at home on Monday, December 18^th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.