Atlanta Hawks: Solomon Hill backed up his team leader at halftime

The Atlanta Hawks added a number of veterans over the offseason with the intention of making the playoffs. They seemed to mesh perfectly with the young core kept by the Hawks. One such veteran, Solomon Hill made a statement after the halftime buzzer.

The Knicks were frustrated by the fact that they finished higher in the standings but have been unable to find a way to beat the fifth-seeded Hawks. Randle has had some loose elbows throughout the series and as a result, Clint Capela started the conversation between the fourth and fifth games.

The big man backed it up during the game, but there were still some chippy moments. Taj Gibson was assessed a flagrant foul, penalty one for his mid-air bump on De’Andre Hunter. Julius Randle was also given a technical foul, not for his elbow on Onyeka Okongwu, but for throwing the ball at Trae Young after the halftime buzzer.

The Atlanta Hawks would have loved the actions of Solomon Hill.

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Nerlens Noel, who has not been happy with the Hawks all series long, walked straight at the Hawks players. He bumped Young who simply shook it off and walked off the court. Noel kept walking and Solomon Hill, who did not like what he saw, walked straight into Noel.

The Knicks big man, obviously frustrated, did not appreciate it and had to be separated from Hill. What the Hawks would love is that Hill, a veteran, saw his team leader being bullied and showed the opposition that his teammates have Youngs’s back.

Playing good basketball is crucial for the Hawks to win playoff games. The other element is that the team needs to be there to support their team leader. Young was almost unfazed but the rest of the team did not appreciate Noel’s tactics.

Last season Hill’s team, the Miami Heat, made the NBA Finals. Hill did not have a huge impact on the box score. He did have a good defensive impact on the team, bringing a veteran toughness. Let’s hope he can help get the Hawks to a similar level this season.