The Atlanta Hawks had a first half to forget with only John Collins and Kevin Huerter being able to hold their heads up high. The second half was a different story
The Atlanta Hawks found themselves in a 19 point hole at the end of the first half which was largely down to the fact they could not score against a zone defense. The Hornets play more zone than any other team so it should have been a big part of the scouting report.
The Hawks went 1-of-10 from deep in the first quarter before finishing the half 4-of-18 from behind the line. While the best way to break down a zone is to shoot the ball well from deep, this was not working for the Hawks. Kevin Huerter was the only exception, hitting three 3-pointers before the main break.
Gordon Hayward was unstoppable in the first half with 25 points, scoring with ease. John Collins was the best Hawk with 14 points and nine rebounds in the first 24 minutes He would finish the game with a 23 point, 11 rebound double-double. Trae Young was not a factor, scoring two points and turning the ball over seven times for only two assists.
Who would have thought Solomon Hill would be huge for the Atlanta Hawks?
https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1346996606608969731
Hayward was unstoppable in the first half then Lloyd Pierce made the only move he could have in the third period, he switched Solomon Hill onto the former Butler standout. He only hit five points for the period and the Hawks were able to claw the deficit back to 14 points at the end of the third.
Brandon Goodwin used his speed to great effect to slice through the zone and created open shots for the Hawks. His effort plays helped inspire his teammates and he was the best point guard for the Hawks on the night. Clint Capela also had a huge night with 19 rebounds. The Hawks came back bit by bit in the third when most of the starters sat.
Interestingly Young played 35 minutes and only scored seven points on 2-of-9 shooting. When he was able to stop turning the ball over the Hawks were in a much better position. He did not commit a single turnover in the second half. Instead, he was the link man on a lot of plays.
The Hawks would take the lead midway through the fourth period but Hayward’s career-high 44 points were too much for the Hawks to overcome. While the final losing margin was eight points, they can take some good points from the comeback and implement them in the next game against the Hornets in Charlotte. The biggest point is they fought hard and never gave up.