Atlanta Hawks: Studs and duds as winning streak hits lucky number seven

Atlanta Hawks dud as winning streak hits lucky number: Lou Williams had an off night from the floor

Let it be known that one has to try to find a ‘dud’ in a game the team won by 30-plus points. But, for posterity, Lou Williams gets his turn in the space. He finished the game with just five points, his 13th time in 15 games scoring fewer than 10 points. Williams did that 30 times in 66 games last season.

The Hawks went 19-11 in those contests last season and 9-9 this season.

Still, the totals weren’t as big of an issue in this one as the efficiency as the certified professional scorer went 2-of-7 (28.6 percent) from the floor. He did go 1-for-2 from deep.

It was his fifth-worst night in terms of efficiency this season and worst since he went 1-for-5, or 20 percent, from the floor against the Boston Celtics. He had shot 50 percent from the floor in the three games that fell between.

Again this is mostly nitpicking on a scorer we know will come around sooner or later. And the Hawks haven’t been hurting for contributions or points as they’ve gone on this run.  But they will need him to be his usual bucket-getting self. He certainly hasn’t been that this season even as the team has turned things around.

With De’Andre Hunter’s injury forcing Kevin Huerter into the starting lineup, Williams has played more. It just hasn’t equated to more production from him to this point.

Saturday’s tilt with the Knicks should be a different story where the Hawks could very much be in need of his services. It’s in those moments that Williams has stepped up in the past so we would bet on that being the case again.