Atlanta Hawks Blog – Page 51 – NBA Blog

Hawks guard Devin Harris misses game with foot injury

Devin Harris missed Monday’s game against the Pacers with a left foot injury.

Harris was hurt in the third quarter of Sunday’s victory over the Bucks and was unable to return after scoring 16 points. It marked the 14th game Harris missed this season with foot problems that have plagued him most of the season’s second half.

His status for Wednesday’s game against the Raptors in undetermined.

“He is still a little sore,” coach Larry Drew said. “We’ll see how he is (Tuesday).”

— Reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Al Horford continues to do big things for Hawks

Horford played in only 11 regular-season games last season before a torn left pectoral muscle sidelined him. He returned May 6 for the final three games of the first-round playoff series loss to the Celtics. Horford said he is at near full strength from that injury and is completely over calf and hamstring issues that bothered him earlier this season.

The two-time All-Star is the Hawks’ leading scorer with 17.4 points per game, good for 23rd in the NBA. His 10.2 rebound average ranks ninth in the league and his 55.0 field-goal percentage ranks 11th.

“When you give him that top-of-the-key jump shot, he’s pretty accurate from there,” Bucks coach Jim Boylan said following Wednesday’s game. “He’s an All-Star player. That’s what All-Stars do, night in and night out. That’s why they’re All-Stars.”

Horford’s mid-range jumper has been especially effective this season. He has shot more than 44 percent from both 15-19 feet (119-of-268, 44.4 percent) and from 20-24 feet (26-of-59, 44.1 percent). That has become a valuable weapon for the Hawks as Horford, playing undersized at center, has drawn the opposition’s big men away from the basket.

— Reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hawks have chance to make up ground on Nets

At least one Hawks player is looking at Sunday’s key matchup against the Nets with an eye toward the playoffs.

DeShawn Stevenson said there is a something more at stake in the game.

“It means a lot because we might end up playing them (in the playoffs),” Stevenson said. “We don’t want to be down 3-1. That game is important.”

The Hawks have lost two of three meetings with the Nets this season, including a poor performance March 9 in a 93-80 loss at Philips Arena.

The Hawks (36-29) have the same record as the Bulls, who own the tiebreaker, for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. They are two games behind the fourth-place Nets (38-27). The Celtics, who played the Bobcats on Saturday, would make it a three-way tie with win.

— Reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Hawks sign Shelvin Mack to second 10-day contract

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Shelvin Mack to a second 10-day contract, Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound point guard has appeared in five games for the Hawks, totaling eight points, four rebounds and three assists in 30 total minutes. In the Hawks’ win against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 13th, Mack scored seven points on 3-5 (.600) shooting and dished out two assists in 14 minutes.

Heat winning streak is now 19 straight games after beating Hawks

Standing at his locker after yet another victory, LeBron James finally acknowledged the obvious.

This winning streak is something for the Miami Heat to savor.

Dwyane Wade scored 23 points and on a night where the stat sheet would suggest a struggle, the Heat rolled once again, extending their winning streak to 19 games and leading wire-to-wire in beating the Atlanta Hawks 98-81 on Tuesday.

”Let’s be honest, guys,” James said. ”We’re not sitting here and saying this is not something special. This is an unbelievable streak that we’re on. We’re playing great basketball. We’re winning in different phases of the game, we’re playing different styles, we’ve won every game, on the road, at home, double-overtime games, end-of-regulation games, whatever the case may be.”

James scored 15 points and Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers added 14 apiece for the Heat, who matched the fifth-longest streak in NBA history. They will try for their 20th straight win on Wednesday at Philadelphia, the start of a five-game trip.

Only three teams have won at least 20 consecutive games in the same season: the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (33), the 2007-08 Houston Rockets (22) and the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks (20). The Washington Capitols also won 20 straight, spanning the end of the 1947-48 season and the start of the 1948-49 campaign.

”Ten is enough for me,” Bosh said. ”Twenty’s cool. I’d take it.”

Josh Smith scored 15 for the Hawks, who got 12 apiece from Al Horford and Jeff Teague.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Hawks recall Mike Scott from D-League

The Atlanta Hawks have recalled rookie forward Mike Scott from the Bakersfield Jam, their NBA Development League affiliate, Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Scott was assigned on March 1st and started three games for the Jam, averaging 24.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 37.3 minutes (.482 FG%, .909 FT%), recording at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in each contest. The three-game stretch was Scott’s second assignment to the Jam this season.

Scott, a second round pick (43rd overall) from Virginia in the 2012 NBA Draft, has seen action in 25 games for the Hawks this season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game (.452 FG%, .750 FT%).

He will be available for tonight’s game against the 76ers.

With nice bench production, Nuggets beat Hawks 104-88

Denver’s bench is giving the Nuggets’ starting five a push for playing time. At this rate, the reserves might be just as good as the starters.

This time, it was Corey Brewer scoring 22 points and being, as his coach said, ”a pest defensively,” and Wilson Chandler chipping in 13 points in the Nuggets’ 104-88 win over the depleted Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

Starter Ty Lawson had 18 points and Kenneth Faried had another double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, but it was Denver’s bench – which outscored Oklahoma City’s reserves by 60 points in their last game – that provided the effort and energy that helped the Nuggets finally shake the Hawks.

Behind their reserves’ 50-point night, the Nuggets won their 11th straight game at the Pepsi Center and matched Miami’s NBA-best 26-3 home record…

With Chandler and Brewer providing the scoring off the bench, JaVale McGee chipped in some more amazing dunks to go with five electrifying blocked shots and Andre Miller dished out nine assists…

Al Horford scored 18 points for Atlanta, and Josh Smith chipped in 15 points, becoming the 24th player in league history to collect 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks. His milestone came on a night when many of his teammates were spectators as the Hawks were without Kyle Korver (toe), Zaza Pachulia (sore right Achilles) and DeShawn Stevenson, who skipped the second game of this back-to-back like he normally does because of balky knees.

Then, Jeff Teague (15 points) sprained his left ankle in the first quarter and Ivan Johnson dislocated his left middle finger in the second quarter. Both returned.

— Reported by Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press

Hawks re-assign Mike Scott to D-League

The Atlanta Hawks have assigned rookie Mike Scott to the Bakersfield Jam, their NBA Development League affiliate, Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

The 6’8 forward was previously assigned to Bakersfield on Dec. 1, and recalled to Atlanta on Dec. 12 after averaging 13.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29.0 minutes (.541 FG%, .684 FT%) in four games for the Jam.

Scott will be available for the Jam’s next game on Saturday night at Los Angeles.

Hawks pull away late, beat Kings 122-108

When Josh Smith took the challenge of defending DeMarcus Cousins, the Atlanta Hawks finally took control against the Sacramento Kings.

Smith, who remained in Atlanta after being discussed in talks leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, came through with his defense one day later.

Al Horford led Atlanta’s balanced scoring with 24 points and the Hawks overcame a slow start to beat Sacramento 122-108 on Friday night.

Jeff Teague had 20 points and 12 assists, Smith added 18 points and DeShawn Stevenson had 17 for Atlanta, which had six players in double figures.

Smith also had six rebounds and four assists, but coach Larry Drew talked the most about the decision made by the 6-foot-9 power forward to defend the 6-foot-11, 270-pound Cousins, the Kings’ high-scoring center…

Smith said Thursday he didn’t sleep well Wednesday night as the trade deadline neared. He said he ”slept too good, actually” on Thursday night and had the energy to hold Cousins, who had 26 points and 13 rebounds, to only four points in the final quarter…

Isaiah Thomas scored 30 points with nine assists to lead the Kings, who have lost four straight and eight of 10.

— Reported by Charles Odum of the Associated Press

Mavs trade Dahntay Jones to Hawks for Anthony Morrow

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired guard Anthony Morrow from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Dahntay Jones.

Morrow (6-5, 210) was originally signed by the Golden State Warriors after going undrafted in the 2008 NBA Draft. He averaged double figures in each of his first four seasons in the league and holds career averages of 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 26.2 minutes in 280 career games (120 starts) with Golden State, New Jersey and Atlanta.

The Charlotte, N.C., native is career .450 shooter from the field, holds a .425 career average from behind-the-arc and has shot .895 from the free throw line. Morrow scored a career-high 42 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 3, 2012.

Morrow played collegiately at Georgia Tech where he established a school record by shooting .867 from the free throw line for his career while also finishing third in all-time three-point field goals (258).

Morrow will wear number 23 for the Mavericks.

Jones was acquired by the Mavericks, along with Darren Collison, from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Ian Mahinmi on July 12, 2012. He saw action in 50 games (15 starts) and averaged 3.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 12.7 minutes per game.