Atlanta Hawks Blog – Page 54 – NBA Blog

Ex-Sixer Lou Williams anxious to face former team

Lou Williams at first tried to downplay his first return tonight to play the 76ers, but the Atlanta Hawks guard then quickly changed gears and admitted that this is not a typical NBA game.

Williams played his first seven years with the Sixers and is in his first season with the Hawks. He is enjoying the same success in the super-sub role.

Last season Williams led the Sixers in scoring, averaging 14.9 points. This season he is averaging 14.3 points for the surprising 15-8 Hawks, who trail first place Miami by two games in the Southeast Division.

“It’s one of those games that will be emotional,” Williams said following this morning’s shootaround at the Wells Fargo Center.

— Reported by Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Blog)

Durant scores 41, Thunder beat Hawks for 12th straight win

Oklahoma City’s biggest stars displayed a unique version of balanced scoring against Atlanta: Russell Westbrook led the Thunder in the first half and Kevin Durant dominated the Hawks over the final two quarters.

Durant set a season high with 41 points and Oklahoma City held off Atlanta 100-92 on Wednesday night for its 12th straight win.

Westbrook had 27 points – 21 in the first half – and 11 assists. Durant scored 28 points in the second half, including 18 in the fourth, and also had 13 rebounds.

No other Oklahoma City player scored in double figures…

Jeff Teague led Atlanta with 19 points, Josh Smith had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Al Horford and Lou Williams scored 13 apiece.

Durant was especially strong after Atlanta cut a 16-point deficit midway through the third quarter to 73-69.

Durant slowed Atlanta’s comeback attempt when he dominated a sequence on both ends of the floor, blocking a shot by Smith before throwing down a jam. Smith drew a foul and Durant sank the free throw to push the lead to 85-75.

With about 3 minutes remaining, Durant hit a fallaway jumper. Less than a minute late, he made a spin move and then sank a 3-pointer over the 6-foot-7 Kyle Korver, who was left shaking his head.

— Reported by Charles Odum of the Associated Press

Devin Harris, Josh Smith lead Hawks past Bobcats 113-90

Kyle Korver thinks the Atlanta Hawks have been too hesitant to beat a struggling opponent decisively.

That wasn’t the case this time.

Devin Harris scored 20 points, Josh Smith added 18 and the surging Hawks beat Charlotte 113-90 on Thursday night to hand the Bobcats their 10th straight defeat.

”I think mentally, in the locker room, we just decided that we were going to do it,” Korver said. ”It’s easy to let up when you’ve got a lead and you’re trying to create some energy, and we’ve done that several times.”

Gerald Henderson finished with 17 points and Ramon Sessions had 16 for Charlotte.

The Hawks are 12-3 since losing three of their first five games this season. Atlanta, which moved into a first-place tie with Miami in the Southeast Division, has won two straight and five of six…

Lou Williams had eight of his nine assists in the first half for Atlanta. Williams, who finished with 13 points, matched his career high in assists, and Ivan Johnson added a season-high 16 points.

Hawks center Al Horford finished with 11 points and three rebounds, ending his streak of seven consecutive double-doubles…

Hawks starting F DeShawn Stevenson scored nine points after missing Wednesday’s win at Orlando with a knee injury.

— Reported by George Henry of the Associated Press

Josh Smith and Blake Griffin named NBA Players of Week

The Atlanta Hawks’ Josh Smith and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin today were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 3, through Sunday, Dec. 9.

In helping the Hawks go 3-0 on the week, Smith ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference in scoring (21.0 ppg) and rebounding (12.0 rpg), and tied for sixth in steals (2.00 spg). Smith grabbed a season-high 15 boards in a 104-95 win vs. Washington on Dec. 7, and followed that up the following night with a season-high three steals in a 93-83 triumph at Memphis.

Griffin averaged a point/rebound double-double in leading the Clippers to four wins in as many games. Among Western Conference players, Griffin ranked ninth in scoring (23.0 ppg), seventh in rebounding (10.0 rpg), and second in steals (2.50 spg). Additionally, Griffin’s .639 field goal percentage ranked sixth in the conference. In a 117-99 win over Phoenix Dec. 8, Griffin recorded a career-best four steals to go along with 24 points and eight rebounds.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Al Horford, Boston’s Rajon Rondo, Chicago’s Joakim Noah, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and David Lee, Memphis’ Zach Randolph, New York’s Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Orlando’s Glen Davis, Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins, and San Antonio’s Tony Parker.

Hawks use 3rd-quarter rally to beat Grizzlies

At halftime, the Atlanta Hawks figured they had played cautiously long enough.

With a burst of energy, tough defense and 3-point shooting from Lou Williams in the third quarter, the Hawks were able to pull away for a 93-83 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night…

Josh Smith had 24 points, while Williams scored 18 of his 21 in the second half. Al Horford had 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Atlanta, which won for the ninth time in its last 10 games. Teague finished with 13 points and six assists.

Horford said Teague’s leadership was a key to the third quarter, when Atlanta outscored Memphis 32-13. The game was close until the middle of the period, when Atlanta erased a five-point deficit with 20 straight points to build a lead that Memphis could not overcome…

Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol scored 18 points apiece, Randolph grabbing 13 rebounds as Memphis lost at home for only the second time this season. Rudy Gay scored 17 points, but was 7 of 25 from the field. Mike Conley finished with 12 points.

Atlanta shot 44 percent for the game, and held Memphis to 43 percent. Atlanta has not allowed an opponent to shoot 50 percent this season…

Hawks G DeShawn Stevenson was available, but did not play for Atlanta because it was the second night of a back-to-back. Meanwhile, G Kyle Korver missed fourth straight game with back spasms.

— Reported by Clay Bailey of the Associated Press

Nuggets center Koufos to miss Hawks game with flu

Denver Nuggets center Kosta Koufos has the flu and is not with the team for Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Coach George Karl says Koufos traveled with the team to Atlanta and remained at the team hotel. Koufos started each of the Nuggets’ first 18 games.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Hawks recall John Jenkins from D-League

The Atlanta Hawks have recalled guard John Jenkins from the Bakersfield Jam, their NBA Development League affiliate, Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Jenkins was assigned on Dec. 1st and played in two games with the Jam, averaging 25.5 points on .529 shooting, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in 33.0 minutes per game. In last night’s 109-95 victory over the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the 6-foot-4 guard from Vanderbilt scored a game-high 29 points on 10-21 shooting (.476) and added four rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes.

He will be available for tonight’s nationally-televised game on ESPN against the Denver Nuggets at 8 p.m.

Atlanta Hawks assign John Jenkins and Mike Scott to D-League

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

Jenkins, the 6-foot-4 guard from Vanderbilt, has appeared in four games this season, scoring six points in 13 minutes. Scott, a 6-foot-8 forward from Virginia, has played 16 minutes in five games and totaled two points and four rebounds. Jenkins was selected with the 23rd overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft while Scott was selected with the 43rd overall pick by the Hawks.

Both players will be available for the Jam’s next game on Monday night against Santa Cruz.

Streaking Hawks beat Bobcats 94-91

After an atrocious 1-for-10 night at the free throw line last week, Al Horford decided to spend extra time working on his foul shots.

”That’s one of the things I always work on, and I got away from it a little bit,” he said. ”I think it showed when I went in that little slump.”

His recent effort seems to have paid off.

Horford scored 17 points and hit two clinching free throws to help the Atlanta Hawks win their sixth straight game with a 94-91 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.

Josh Smith and Lou Williams also had 17 points apiece for the Hawks.

Ben Gordon scored 20 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and Ramon Sessions had 18 to lead Charlotte, which has lost two straight and three of four…

In the fourth quarter, Gordon was 5 for 7 on 3s and hit all five free throws he attempted, but he wasn’t able to give Charlotte the lead.

— Reported by George Henry of the Associated Press

Al Horford and Tim Duncan named Players of Week

The Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford and the San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan today were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 25.

Horford led the Hawks to a 4-0 week, averaging 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He recorded a career-high 10 assists on Nov. 21 as Atlanta topped the Washington Wizards 101-100. Horford’s 26-point, 13-rebound double-double in a 101-91 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Nov. 23 helped the Hawks to improve their road record to 4-2, tops in the conference.

Duncan helped the Spurs to a 3-1 week with averages of 22.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 blocks. He posted three consecutive point-rebound double-doubles in games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers. Duncan’s lone game last week without a double-double still showed a balanced stat line of 26 points, six assists, five rebounds and three blocks as the Spurs bested the Raptors 111-106 on Nov. 25 – a game in which Duncan recorded his 2,500th career block.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Jeff Teague, Boston’s Rajon Rondo, Charlotte’s Ramon Sessions, Denver’s Andre Iguodala, Houston’s Chandler Parsons, Memphis’ Rudy Gay, Miami’s Chris Bosh and LeBron James, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans.