Too Much Russ: Hawks Fall to Thunder 119-107

John the Baptist lived up to his name in the first half, notching 4 dunks on only 5 made baskets. The first of which was the most impressive as it was an absolutely brutal two-handed putback on top of Westbrook’s head:

Collins was having trouble staying on the court in this bout due to foul trouble, and he actually fouled out of this game – the first time he’s done that since a February 11^th game against the Detroit Pistons.

Even with that foul trouble, Collins logged 30 minutes, 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. JC was fairly inefficient from the floor, though he was flawless to start the game as his dunks were tumbling down like so many orange, spherical raindrops. Collins is having a historically great season, and his dunking ability is a major part of that.

Taurean Prince, coming off an incredible performance against the Chicago Bulls, continued his hot streak with a volume showing against the Thunder.

The Prince That Was Promised finished with a team-high 25 points on 9 of 20 shooting (3 of 8 from deep) along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal.

TP was looking more for his own shot in this game, and he showcased a wide variety of the skill moves he has picked up in his two years in the league. Even though Taurean had a career night one game prior, he seems to play better when he’s looking to pass just as much as he is looking for his own shot, as his 7 assists against the Bulls indicate.

Still though, Taurean has been on a tear for the past few weeks – scoring 15 or more points in 6 of the past 8 games. He also just seems to be moving more fluidly on the court, and his ballhandling and decision-making have improved drastically since early in the season.

Dennis Schröder also had a strong game, scoring 18 points on 6 of 16 shooting with 8 assists in 33 minutes. Schröd and Westbrook were having some nice back-and-forth moments early (a matchup that Westbrook clearly won in the end).

"John Collins was flawless to start the game as his dunks were tumbling down like so many orange, spherical raindrops."

Elsewhere among the starters Tyler Dorsey and Dewayne Dedmon had relatively quiet nights as the two combined for 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 45 minutes – not great production from your starting center and two guard.

Off the bench was where Atlanta made their living. Isaiah Taylor’s motoric offensive performance helped accelerate the pace for the Hawks, and he pushed the tempo and scored 12 points with 4 assists and 3 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.

Taylor, like Collins, was having an impossible time not fouling, and he too fouled out of this game (for the first time in his NBA career).

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Once again, with numerous injuries piling up for Atlanta, the franchise was forced to sign another player from the G-League to a 10-Day contract. This time it was Damion Lee, who was playing for the Maine Red Claws before the callup.

Lee looked terrific in his first NBA game, and played 17 strong minutes defending some of the best scorers in the league in Russell Westbrook and Paul George. He looked competent on the defensive end and even surprised Russ with an opportunistic steal off an inbounds pass.

Lee’s energy and intensity helped push the Hawks’ bench unit to impressive runs in the 2^nd and 4^th quarters, and it didn’t hurt that he was scoring with ease. Lee piled up 13 points on 4 of 8 shooting (2 of 4 from three) in his NBA debut, and he added 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.

As Atlanta continues to trot out young players all over the court, Lee looks to be a lock to stay on the team for the rest of the season.

Andrew White III, after playing only 13 minutes in the Hawks’ previous two games, played 20 minutes in this bout and looked sharp on both ends. White’s sturdy frame held up on defense and he nabbed 5 boards, though he is still learning the craft on that end.

On the more glamorous end, White tied his career-high with 3 made threes and finished with 9 points on 3 of 4 shooting from deep. With White feeling it, it would’ve been nice to see the team seek him out a bit more on offense – just as the Thunder were doing with Melo.

This game also marked the return of Tyler Cavanaugh after missing 22 straight games with a severe ankle sprain. Cavanaugh was clearly on a minutes restriction as they try to ease him back into the rotation with only 14 minutes on this night.

In those minutes, Cavanaugh hit his lone three pointer and showed trademark tenacity on the offensive glass with 2 of his 3 rebounds coming on that end. Cavanaugh also notched the highest box plus/minus on the team with a +11, typifying the bench’s overall impact.

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The Hawks return to action on Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets, who will be looking to sweep the season series with Atlanta. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. EST.