Cyclones

Dating back to when he was 9 years old, Malcolm Brogdon has made plenty of trips to Africa, a place he <a href="https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/brogdon-helps-bring-clean-water-joy-east-african-communities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">truly loves and is passionate about</a>. This past week marked yet another visit with the NBA for Basketball Without Borders, where he along with several players and coaches from around the league played a part in grooming the next generation of basketball youngsters &mdash; on and off the floor.
&ldquo;I just have a heart for it over here, a heart for the continent and developing these guys and giving them a real opportunity,&rdquo; Brogdon told Basketball News via Zoom.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think it's always an amazing opportunity when I get to come over here and work with the young talent, because there's a wealth of it in Africa. They don't have the resources and they don't have the nutrition and the development that we have, but once they do, these kids are gonna take off. So I definitely applaud the NBA for being over here and giving them an opportunity.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/0c3a0557.png" alt="" width="700" height="350" />
(Photos via NBA Africa)
Held in Cairo, Egypt, for the first time since the program expanded into Africa, Basketball Without Borders returned after a brief hiatus. (The last event occurred in Dakar, Senegal, in 2019, which Brogdon also participated in at the time.) BWB Africa 2022 brought together over 60 of the top men and women&rsquo;s prospects under the age of 18 to learn and compete.
The camp featured a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests and 5-on-5 games, plus sessions about life skills and leadership development. In addition, everybody involved was able to explore the country &mdash; most notably seeing the pyramids and going to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/_l5s4228-1-1.png" alt="" width="700" height="350" />
Finding himself coaching for the second consecutive time, Brogdon quips that such a responsibility &ldquo;is a whole different monster than playing.&rdquo; With that being said, the 29-year-old envisions he&rsquo;ll continue to be involved in developing the future talent that comes from Africa.
&ldquo;It's up to guys like myself in the NBA that have a platform and have a name that can come over [to] encourage these guys, shine some light in their life, work with them and learn from them, and allow them to learn from you,&rdquo; Brogdon said.
With BWB Africa coming to a close on Wednesday, Basketball News spoke with Brogdon about his foundation, the Boston Celtics&rsquo; upcoming season and more.
You&rsquo;ve long talked about how important your platform as an NBA player is and how it can be used to help people. Could you speak about your clean water initiative in East Africa and your <a href="https://www.brogdonfamilyfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brogdon Family Foundation</a> that started two years ago?
Brogdon: "For sure. I have a foundation, the Brogdon Family Foundation. It focuses on two things. One side is education domestically and the other side is clean water internationally. Especially on the clean water side, we've seen a lot of progress over the last couple of years. We're building clean water wells in East Africa &mdash; Tanzania and Kenya. We have over 20-to-25 wells in the ground in those two countries. We're doing a lot of really good work and really impacting people's lives."
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/brogdon1.png" alt="" width="560" height="448" />
It&rsquo;s got to be cool to be able to spend time with Grant Williams out there, especially now that you&rsquo;re teammates with him. Have you gotten the chance to get to know him better and talk ball?
Brogdon: "Yeah, we've talked a lot of basketball. We've spent a lot of time together. We've talked business, we've talked life. I got to meet his mom, she's here. Grant's a great guy. He's a smart guy. He takes the game serious, takes life serious. He's an impressive guy, so I've really enjoyed my time with him."
I&rsquo;m sure you&rsquo;re stoked for camp to start in a few weeks. You seem thrilled to be playing in Boston now. What makes that organization stand out to you?
Brogdon: "Their history, right? I mean, they're the most winning organization in the league, and I think they're more hungry to win than anybody. You can see that with the move they made for me and [Danilo] Gallinari. They want to improve. They want to win a championship. It's all about Banner 18 for 'em. Now that's all it's about for me as well, and I'm excited to be a part of that."
Have you had the chance to talk to Gallo after <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/danilo-gallinari-diagnosed-with-meniscus-tear-no-ligament-damage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his injury</a>?
Brogdon: "I reached out to him. I sent him a text that just said, 'Hey man, praying for you. Get healthy, we need you this year.' He said, 'I appreciate it, brother.' It was short. When you get injured, it's frustrating. You want people to check on you, but a lot of the time, you don't want to talk a lot about it, so I just sent a text out to let him know I was thinking about him and I was praying for him."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
How do you feel you can complement Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown best?
Brogdon: "I think I can just relieve pressure. Whether that's touching the paint, getting 'em easy shots. Whether that's guarding players that they need a break on the defensive end [against] so they can focus on offense.
"But [mostly], being a steady presence on the floor that can help control the end of games, that can help control the flow of the game to make sure that they're getting the ball in their spots, [so] they're never having to overdo it to get a look or run their bodies into the ground. I want to be that guy that can create for 'em."
You're joining a guard room with Marcus Smart, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. It feels like the lineup combinations could be very fun.
Brogdon: "Yeah. We're talented, we're deep. A year ago, people were talking about, 'The Celtics didn't have depth.' Well, that's not gonna be an issue. I think this year we'll have a wealth of talent coming off the bench, and I'm excited about it. I'm excited. I think we've got smart, more-than-capable guys coming off the bench that are versatile on both sides of the ball, and we can really be dangerous."
What do you admire most about Ime Udoka? What have your conversations with him been like?
Brogdon: "I admire his authenticity, his realness. He's a straight shooter, he's very direct. There's not a lot of gray area with him. You can have coaches that don't want to tell you the truth, that sorta beat around the bush. He's far from that, so I really appreciate that about him. It's hard to find. I've had maybe two conversations with him. I can tell he's a player's coach. He was in the league for a while, he knows how to talk to you, he knows how to relate to you, but he also knows how to coach."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Background on Basketball Without Borders Africa
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The first Basketball Without Borders Africa camp took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2003.</li>
<li aria-level="1">In total there have been 18 BWB Africa camps, with the most recent camp taking place in Cairo, Egypt, from Aug. 28-31, 2022.</li>
<li aria-level="1">More than 1,400 men and women from more than 30 African countries have participated in BWB Africa.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Camps have been attended and supported by more than 150 NBA and WNBA coaches, players and NBA team personnel.</li>
<li aria-level="1">BWB Africa camps have been conducted in South Africa (2003-2009; 2011-2015; 2017-2018), Senegal (2010, 2019), Egypt (2022) and Angola (2016).</li>
<li aria-level="1">Twelve former BWB Africa campers have been drafted into the NBA: Khalifa Diop (BWB Africa 2018), Christian Koloko (BWB Africa 2017), Pascal Siakam (BWB Africa 2012), Joel Embiid (BWB Africa 2011), Kostas Antetokounmpo (BWB Africa 2015), Chukwudi Maduabum (BWB Africa 2010), Gorgui Dieng (BWB Africa 2009), Christian Eyenga (BWB Africa 2005), Hamady N'diaye (BWB Africa 2004), Solomon Alabi (BWB Africa 2004), Mouhamed Saer Sene (BWB Africa 2004), Luc Mbah a Moute (BWB Africa 2003)</li>
</ul>
Background on Basketball Without Borders
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">Basketball Without Borders (BWB) is the NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s global basketball development and community outreach program that was launched in 2001.</li>
<li aria-level="2">The first-ever BWB camp took place in Europe in July 2001: Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Toni Kukoc (Croatia), together with former teammates from the Yugoslavia national team, reunited in Treviso, Italy, to work with 50 children from the former Yugoslavia.</li>
<li aria-level="2">The NBA and FIBA have staged 65 BWB camps in 40 cities across 30 countries on six continents.&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="2">BWB has hosted more than 3,800 participants from 133 countries and territories.</li>
<li aria-level="2">More than 310 current and former NBA/WNBA players have joined more than 240 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams to share their expertise and knowledge with participants.</li>
<li aria-level="2">The NBA typically hosts four regional BWB camps over the summer (Africa, Europe, Asia, Americas), and in 2015 created the BWB Global camp, which is held annually at NBA All-Star for the top prospects from the previous summer&rsquo;s camps</li>
<li aria-level="2">There have been 105 former BWB campers drafted or signed by NBA or WNBA teams, including a record 41 players on opening-night rosters last season.
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">Notable former BWB campers include Deandre Ayton, Josh Giddey, RJ Barrett, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen, Joel Embiid, Danilo Gallinari, Marc Gasol, Rui Hachimura, Jonas Valanciunas, Jamal Murray, Nicolas Batum, Pascal Siakam and Awak Kuier.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Spencer Davies chats with Malcolm Brogdon about his involvement with BWB Africa, his foundation, next year's Celtics and more.

Malcolm Brogdon Q&A: Fit with Celtics, BWB Africa experience

It turns out that hoarding assets and a ton of "almost trades" may not be the best approach to build a franchise. The Boston Celtics are in the midst of suffering the ramifications of such an approach.&nbsp;
Boston has played the third-most games that come down to "clutch time," just one behind the Los Angeles Lakers and two behind the Milwaukee Bucks. They have won just 9 of those 26 games. Their .346 win percentage in clutch situations is only better than the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs; three teams you do not want to be in the same company as this season if you have serious playoff hopes.
It is hard to imagine that a team with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, two undeniable stars, could be currently a half-game from not even making the Play-In Tournament. The Cs still have Marcus Smart with an emerging Robert Williams for their defensive needs, but the rest of the roster just does not make sense.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/bryan-fonseca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan Fonseca</a> <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-case-against-and-for-separating-jayson-tatum-and-jaylen-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took a dive into the Tatum-Brown pairing</a>, and he'll join me on this quest to solve this riddle that is the currenly-spiraling Boston Celtics. I will explore the need for a point guard in Part I, while <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/part-two-what-fours-best-fit-beside-jayson-tatum-and-jaylen-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan addressed the frontcourt in Part II</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Dennis Schroder and the Celtics were a marriage of neccesity rather than pure desire. Schroder bet on himself, leaving the best he ever had to look for even better, only to find out he made a mistake. Swiping through NBA Free Agency Tinder, the Celtics and Schroder matched because they both had a void to fill. After trading Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a reunion with Al Horford, newly-named president Brad Stevens had only Smart and Payton Pritchard on the roster to run the point.
Boston had an All-Star point guard for three straight seasons, and then, last year, Walker was often injured, which led to his departure. Going from big-name point guards to unproven floor generals, the Celtics gave Schroder a prove-it deal. But all it has proved so far is that he is not a fit to lead this team at the point position.
As a matter of fact, Schroder is not really fit to be the lead point guard on any team. The best seasons of his career arguably came as a backup to Jeff Teague in Atlanta. Once the Teague era ended, the Hawks, and Schroder's value, fell off a cliff.&nbsp;
In 2015-16, the final year of Teague, Schroder carried a plus-7.5 Net Rating along with his career-best Defensive Rating of 95.9. In those two following seasons as the lead guard in Atlanta, Schroder was an overall minus-8.2 with an average DRTG of 109.3.
When Schroder returned to backup duty in Oklahoma City for both Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul, his NET jumped up to plus-3.6 and plus-5.5 respectively.
Looking from the lens of plus-minus, 4 of his 5 worst seasons are his rookie campaign and every year he was the primary point guard. The evidence is there: He's not built to lead a team that way.
Through trial and error, the Celtics now know that, and are reportedly open to moving him (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/celtics-have-been-extremely-active-in-trade-talks-ahead-of-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and other veterans</a>) elsewhere to open up time for their young guys. So where/who do they turn to? Smart at the point alongside Brown, Tatum, Al Horford and Williams is a plus-17.6 NET with 324 total possessions per Cleaning the Glass. But can the group get it done in the fourth quarter?
If Ime Udoka and Stevens believe they can, then moves should be made to ensure the team's depth on the bench. If not, the Celtics need grab a floor general off the trade market. Here are some scenarios:
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Memphis Grizzlies
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/tradenba-snap-1642999154372_lg.png" alt="" width="651" height="252" />
Tyus Jones is arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA and the current leader in Assist-to-Turnover ratio among qualified players (5.40). The Grizzlies are who they are in large part due to his ability to run the bench unit, but also hold the fort down if Ja Morant misses time.&nbsp;
So, why would Memphis do this? Well, the Grizzlies are not pressured to win the title this year. General manager Zach Kleiman has danced to the beat of his own drum, and will not accelerate his timeline simply because the team is ahead of schedule. Morant is due a rookie-scale max extension, and the Grizzlies will almost certainly have to fork over a near max to Desmond Bane when that time comes. On top of that, Jaren Jackson Jr. is already on the books for a $100 million extension, so money is tight in Memphis.
Kleiman is all about cashing in his assets; Memphis can't afford to pay Jones, so he could very well seek compensation now rather than let him walk in the offseason for nothing. Tyus will almost certainly be a starting point guard for someone next season, so Boston should look here first.
Memphis gets some expiring money back and a protected first-round pick for a player that would significantly help Boston's post season push. (It should be noted that Memphis may also try to get a hometown discount with Jones and keep him this offseason.)
Houston Rockets
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/tradenba-snap-1642999830049_lg.png" alt="" width="650" height="282" />
Speaking of the Grizzlies, they once traded Chandler Parsons to the Atlanta Hawks for Solomon Hill and Miles Plumlee. A genius financial move by Memphis. Kleiman broke down the Parsons contract into two easier-to-move contracts to get Parsons off the books.
The motivation for Houston here would be similar. Schroder is an expiring deal that the Rockets could buy out immediately, while Horford could be shipped to a third team to be broken down even further.&nbsp;
This issue with this trade on the Celtics' side is that Josh Richardson has been good for them, and while you upgrade the point guard position, the wing depth takes a hit. This is an all-in move for Boston that would most certainly be followed by either a trade for another wing or picking up a wing on the buyout market.
What does John Wall look like? Does he fit with Tatum and Brown? These are the questions that must be answered for this idea to even be kicked around. It's a rather unlikely scenario, but the market for quality point guards is quite dry.&nbsp;
San Antonio Spurs
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/tradenba-snap-1643000352154_lg.png" alt="" width="650" height="312" />
Here is your home-run swing. Bryan and I could not think of another available point guard (Malcolm Brogdon is ineligible to be moved) for Boston to pursue, so he mentioned this as a big swing. It may very well take more than two protected first-round picks &mdash; whether that is more picks or someone like Aaron Nesmith. The Spurs most likely have no interest in moving Murray this season, but for the right price, who knows.&nbsp;
This would be a massive deal for the Celtics. They would get a perfect point guard to play alongside Tatum, Brown and Smart, as well as a veteran in Thaddeus Young, who is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/spurs-thad-young-frustrated-about-role-this-situation-is-not-ideal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">still waiting to pounce on an opportunity to play</a> after a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/thaddeus-young-was-blindsided-by-spurs-trade-bulls-said-hed-be-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solid year in Chicago</a>. Young is almost certainly going to be moved, and if the Celtics could land him with Murray, Boston &mdash; while not becoming title favorites &mdash; could fight its way out of the Play-In Tournament.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Danny Ainge is no longer at the helm, so what will Stevens do in his first season running the show? This roster clearly needs an immediate makeover, and it starts with repairing the point guard position.&nbsp;
Read <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/part-two-what-fours-best-fit-beside-jayson-tatum-and-jaylen-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Part II of this series</a>, where Bryan Fonseca addressed the Celtics' frontcourt options in the trade market. 
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Justin Lewis looks at Boston's point guard dilemma and potential trade ideas for the Celtics in Part I of his series with Bryan Fonseca.

Broken in Boston: Retooling the spiraling Celtics — Part I

The Atlanta Hawks have been disappointing so far in 2021-22, winning only 17 of their first 40 games &mdash; a major step back after advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals just last season. With that kind of a start, moves are inevitable.
So late Thursday morning, Atlanta reportedly sent Cam Reddish, Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round pick (via Brooklyn) to the New York Knicks for Kevin Knox and a protected 2022 first-round pick via Charlotte, per <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hawks-trading-cam-reddish-solomon-hill-to-knicks-for-two-draft-picks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
Let's take a look at how this affects both teams involved.
KNICKS
This move is a major win for New York. The Knicks had in interest in the 6-foot-8 Reddish leading up to the 2019 NBA Draft. They ultimately selected Reddish&rsquo;s teammate, RJ Barrett, third overall. Reddish was taken by Atlanta with the No. 10 pick.
Considering that Barrett and Reddish played together for a season at Duke, cohesion should not be an issue. Somewhere in or around New Orleans, Zion Williamson is probably jealous that his two former teammates are reuniting without him. Be on the lookout for Zion-to-New York rumors heating up, especially if Reddish and Barrett are both in New York long-term.
But Reddish-to-New York isn&rsquo;t a pure reunion. Reddish&rsquo;s game has grown a lot since 2019. He&rsquo;s playing the best basketball of his career this season, scoring a career-high 11.9 points per game on a career-best 37.9% on three-point attempts. He&rsquo;s done that while playing a career-low 23.4 minutes per game. He&rsquo;s been more aggressive as of late, putting up two 30-plus point games in late December, and his defensive prowess is still noteworthy too.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Welcome to New York, Cam Reddish! <a href="https://t.co/eE1sVzYKsO">pic.twitter.com/eE1sVzYKsO</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1481676359697145863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Reddish&rsquo;s versatility should solidify New York&rsquo;s already-capable second unit, adding a true wing to a lineup that needed one &mdash; a role that was tailor-made for Knox, who never won the trust of head coach Tom Thibodeau. Alternatively, Reddish could replace Fournier in the starting lineup. Reddish will almost certainly take on the limited minutes Knox received, as well as probably taking some from rookie Quentin Grimes and Alec Burks. Reddish's presence should also enable Thibodeau to rest Julius Randle, Barrett and Fournier a bit more too. 
Reddish is eligible for a contract extension following this season. If a deal isn&rsquo;t reached, the 22-year-old will become a restricted free agent in 2023. As alluded to above, Reddish will likely receive more playing time in New York to showcase what he can do before the summer.
The Knicks are presently 21-21, slotting in at No. 11 in the Eastern Conference. New York is in a similar position to where it was last season the team traded for Derrick Rose. Rose helped power the Knicks into the 2021 NBA Playoffs. If Reddish can have a similar impact, look for negotiations to commence this offseason.
Hill is unlikely to receive a significant role in New York, and could be waived depending on how Thibs views his fit with a crowded frontcourt room.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
HAWKS
The cost of adding a versatile wing was a no-brainer for the Knicks. On the other hand, it seems as though Atlanta could have returned more for a young player like Reddish.
But that doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;s a bad deal for the Hawks. Firstly, Atlanta has struggled establishing and sticking to lineups, which has been further complicated by injuries and protocols. While the 10th pick in an NBA Draft is certainly a considerable investment, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter &mdash; the fourth overall pick of the same draft &mdash; is obviously more of a priority; Kevin Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic are too, and that left Reddish among the odd men out.
We should also hold off on judging Atlanta&rsquo;s decision to move Reddish until at least the trade deadline (Feb. 10). The Hawks could very easily be working on a follow-up deal that makes this move sensible. It also could be as simple as Atlanta striking before word leaks that the franchise possibly did not anticipate opening contract negotiations with Reddish, which would've hurt his trade value.
It&rsquo;s worth mentioning that the pick used on Reddish originally belonged to the Dallas Mavericks, and was sent to Atlanta as part of the Luka Doncic-Trae Young trade &mdash; meaning that ultimately, in a web, Atlanta received Young, Kevin Knox and a 2022 protected first-rounder for Doncic.
Ironically, the Hawks are struggling this season too, just one spot behind New York in the Eastern Conference. A shake-up was imminent, as was foreshadowed recently by Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk on an <a href="https://www.audacy.com/929thegame/podcasts/the-morning-show-w-john-and-hugh-8/travis-schlenk-its-on-me-if-this-doesnt-get-turned-around-1108640535">Atlanta-area radio show</a>. Rumors have also circulated about the availably of veteran wing Danilo Gallinari.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ultimately, this deal was a home run for New York. It may or may not help catapult the Knicks into the playoffs, but more importantly, it gives them another reliable and versatile young player around whom they can continue building.
It&rsquo;s a little less clear what this accomplishes for Atlanta. Knox's inability to consistently contribute means he'll probably play a very limited role, similar to that which he had with the Knicks. But stay tuned for subsequent deals regarding the Hawks.

Cam Reddish is being sent to the New York Knicks for a 2022 protected first-round pick and Kevin Knox. Drew Maresca reacts.

Instant reaction: Cam Reddish trade a no-brainer for Knicks

Kevin Durant and James Harden carried the heavy scoring load for the Brooklyn Nets, as usual.
Coach Steve Nash also credited his &ldquo;bullpen&rdquo; for closing out New Jersey's win over Atlanta.
Durant <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1469517547275964429">scored 31 points</a>, including a go-ahead jumper midway through the fourth quarter, and the Nets proved to be resilient once again, beating the Hawks 113-105 on Friday night.
New Jersey trailed 91-89 before outscoring Atlanta 24-14 in the final period.
Rookie Cam Thomas <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1469495142893555716">sank three 3-pointers</a> while scoring 11 points off Brooklyn's bench. Another backup, Nic Claxton, <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1469497717860749315">added four points</a> and four rebounds while providing valuable defense as most of his minutes came in the final quarter.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re both so versatile,&rdquo; Nash said of Thomas and Claxton. &ldquo;It really gives us a great bullpen, so to speak. ... I think it just elevates our level of play at that end of the floor so much.&rdquo;
With the 6-foot-11 Claxton sharing the defensive load on Atlanta point guard Trae Young, the Hawks made only 6 of 22 shots in the final period.
&ldquo;It was just a good lineup to finish the game,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad the defense won it for us.&rdquo;
Young led Atlanta with 31 points but made 2 of 7 shots from the field in the fourth.
&ldquo;We both played good defense,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;They played better defense in the fourth. I&rsquo;ve got to do a better job of making shots in the fourth.&rdquo;
Harden had 20 points and 11 assists for Brooklyn, which is 2-0 against Atlanta this season.
The Nets, protecting their slim lead over Chicago for the best record in the Eastern Conference, improved to 8-0 following losses this season. Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 15 points, were rested in Wednesday night&rsquo;s 114-104 loss at Houston.
John Collins had 20 points and Kevin Huerter added 19 for the Hawks.
There were three ties early in the final period, including at 95-all. Durant's jumper sparked an 8-0 run that gave the Nets a 103-95 lead. Harden had four points in the run.
Atlanta answered with seven straight points, including a 3-pointer and another basket by Young, to pull to within 103-102. The Hawks couldn't complete the comeback.
The Hawks led 73-62 early in the third period.
Thomas, coming off a season-high 18 points against Houston, had three 3s in the period, including one that tied it at 86-all.
Thomas added another 3 to give Brooklyn its first lead of the half, 89-88. Danilo Gallinari answered with a 3 to give Atlanta the lead entering the final period.
TIP-INS
Nets: Nash acknowledged he worries about the toll of excessive minutes logged by the 32-year-old Harden. He played 41 minutes, his fifth game in the last six logging at least 39. ... Aldridge set a season high with three blocked shots. Durant also had three blocks.
Hawks: Clint Capela posted his 16th double-double of the season with 14 points and 16 rebounds. ... Huerter opened the game by making two 3-pointers. The Hawks didn't make another 3 in the period but they closed the half with another 3 from Huerter. He made 5 of 7 3s.
REDDISH RETURNS
Hawks forward Cam Reddish scored four points in his return after missing four games with a sprained left wrist. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot remained in the starting lineup, but did not score.
Reddish scored all his points on free throws. He was 0 for 6 from the field.
&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t get his shot to fall tonight, but he&rsquo;ll get back into it,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;When he&rsquo;s in a groove, it&rsquo;s a lot better for our team.&rdquo;
Reddish adds important depth on the wing. The issue became more critical with Wednesday&rsquo;s announcement that Solomon Hill is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a torn right hamstring tendon.
Atlanta also is without De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, who is recovering from surgery on his right wrist, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who missed his fifth consecutive game due to a sprained right ankle.
STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH
One game after setting a franchise record by making 25 3-pointers in a 121-110 win at Minnesota on Monday, the Hawks made 11 of 34 3s. Entering the game, Atlanta led the NBA in 3-point shooting, making 38.6%, while Brooklyn led the league in 3-point defense, allowing 30.5%.
ALL GOOD
Durant and Young each drew technical fouls for a brief skirmish in the final period. The two were separated and downplayed the incident after the game.
&ldquo;He wanted me to get out of his space and I understand that,&rdquo; Durant said.
UP NEXT
Nets: Wrap up a four-game trip at Detroit on Sunday night.
Hawks: Play Houston on Monday night.

New Jersey trailed 91-89 before outscoring Atlanta 24-14 in the final period.

Durant's 31 points power Nets past Young, Hawks 113-105

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-warriors-and-suns-still-sit-at-the-top" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
Golden State and Phoenix split a pair of highly anticipated games last week, while the Bucks and Bulls continue to climb up the rankings.
1. Golden State Warriors (20-4) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
The Warriors were beaten by the Phoenix Suns last Tuesday, but bounced back and beat them in a rematch on Friday. Of note: Steph Curry is currently just 15 three-pointers away from tying Ray Allen as the NBA's all-time leader in made triples. Before embarking on a five-game road trip, the Warriors have one more home game: Wednesday vs. Portland. When asked if Curry could tie/break the record on Wednesday, coach Steve Kerr said it "absolutely" could happen. "He's Steph Curry, so anything's possible." Here's to hoping Kerr and the Warriors let Steph make a real run at the record by allowing him to attempt 25+ treys.
2. Phoenix Suns (20-4) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
Since the week of Halloween, the Suns have lost just once (the aforementioned defeat to the Warriors), compiling an absurd 19-1 record in their past 20 contests. Devin Booker strained his left hamstring in Phoenix's first matchup vs. Golden State and has missed each of his team's past three games.&nbsp;
3. Milwaukee Bucks (16-9) 🔼 Last Week: 4 
Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action on Monday after missing two games due to a sore right calf, and scored 27 points on his 27th birthday to help lead the Bucks to another victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Giannis is the only player in NBA history to tally at least 12,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 2,000 assists before turning 27. It's scary to think he is just now entering the heart of his prime.&nbsp;
4. Chicago Bulls (17-8) 🔼 Last Week: 5
On Monday afternoon, the Bulls learned that the team's leading scorer, DeMar DeRozan, would be forced out of actoin due to the NBA's health and safety protocols. Chicago is also without Alex Caruso, who is expected to miss at least a week due to a strained right hamstring suffered in Saturday's win at Brooklyn. However, the Bulls still found a way to beat the Nuggets on Monday night, notching their fourth consecutive victory. Ayo Dosunmu made his first career start in place of DeRozan and tallied 11 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
5. Brooklyn Nets (16-7) 🔽 Last Week: 3
The Nets have beaten up on lesser teams all season, posting a perfect 10-0 record against opponents with sub-.500 records. However, Brooklyn is 0-5 in the five games it has played against the top two teams in the West (Suns, Warriors) and the other two teams in the top three of the Eastern Conference (Bucks, Bulls).
6. Utah Jazz (16-7) &harr;️ Last Week: 6
The league announced Monday that Donovan Mitchell <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mitchell-derozan-earn-nba-player-of-the-week-honors-for-nov-29dec-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors</a>. Over three contests, he averaged 33.0 points while shooting 57.1% from the floor &mdash; including 43.3% from downtown, and 93.3% from the charity stripe &mdash; to go along with 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals to lead the Jazz to victories in each.
7. Philadelphia 76ers (13-11) 🔼 Last Week: 10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔔 <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoelEmbiid</a> joins Giannis Antetokounmpo and Charles Barkley as the only players in the last 40 years with 40+ points, 15+ rebounds and 5+ assists at least 75% shooting! 43 PTS 15 REB 7 AST 15-20 FGM<a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sixers</a> W <a href="https://t.co/TdvnQTfEtN">pic.twitter.com/TdvnQTfEtN</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1468207421805973507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It took a Herculean effort from Joel Embiid (a season-high 43 points to go along with 15 rebounds and 7 assists), but Philadelphia was able to go on the road and beat the shorthanded Charlotte Hornets on Monday. In the process, the Sixers secured back-to-back wins for the first time in more than a month.
8. Miami Heat (14-11) 🔽 Last Week: 7
On Monday, Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup after missing four games due to a tailbone contusion. Unfortunately, he couldn't finish the contest, as he re-injured his back after a hard fall. Butler "drew contact and got shoved and landed on his tailbone," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game. "There could not have been a worst scenario for us to start the game. It is a contact sport. It's an unpredictable thing... But he definitely reaggravated it. You can tell from that point on he was not his usual self. So we'll reevaluate him (Tuesday) and see where we are."
9. ​​Charlotte Hornets (14-12) &harr;️&nbsp;Last Week: 9
Despite missing five players &mdash; including starters Lamelo Ball, Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee, due to NBA health and safety protocols &mdash; the Hornets beat the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday and nearly knocked off the Sixers and the second night of a back-to-back Monday. After pouring in 28 points vs. Atlanta, Kelly Oubre Jr. racked up 35 points (on 13 of 24 shooting), 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, and made six treys in the Hornets' 127-124 overtime loss to the 76ers.
10. Washington Wizards (14-11) 🔽 Last Week: 8
The Wiz exceeded expectations early this season, winning 10 of their first 13 games. However, after falling to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, Washington has lost three in a row and 4 of its last 5. (In fact, the Wizards are just 3-6 in the nine games they've played since Kyle Kuzma made an interesting fashion choice. Could it be the <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1468058584625954818?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">curse of the oversized pink sweater?!?!</a>)
11. Boston Celtics (13-11) 🔼 Last Week: 14
The C's have won 3 of their last 4, but are entering a brutal stretch of their schedule. They play a back-to-back against the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers in L.A. on Tuesday and Wednesday, then travel to Phoenix on Friday to wrap up a five-game road trip. Boston then returns home, but has to take on the Bucks and Warriors in the team's first games back in Beantown.&nbsp;
12. Los Angeles Clippers (13-12) &harr;️ Last Week: 12
The Clippers had lost 4 of 5 before beating up on an undermanned Portland Trail Blazers squad Monday night. Encouragingly for Los Angeles, Marcus Morris is healthy and seems to be finding his rhythm. Morris is averaging 19.7 points and 4.3 treys while shooting 56.8% from the floor and 56.5% from downtown over his last three games.&nbsp;
13. Memphis Grizzlies (14-10) 🔼 Last Week: 20
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Dillon Brooks with the slickest of his career high-tying 8 assists, setting up Desmond Bane for the late slam in the <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> 5th straight W! <a href="https://t.co/H8waWUWIrr">pic.twitter.com/H8waWUWIrr</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1468060881598619651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

The Grizz have won five in a row, and I'm not sure what's more impressive: The fact that they've won all five games without Ja Morant (who is sidelined by a left knee injury), or the fact that Memphis has not trailed, even for a second, at any time during this five-game run!
14. Atlanta Hawks (13-12) 🔼 Last Week: 17
The Hawks had lost 3 of 4 and were missing Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cam Reddish and Solomon Hill on Monday, but still found a way to push past the Minnesota Timberwolves. Trae Young scored 29 points despite shooting just 7 of 18 from the floor, as he was able to knock down 11 of his 13 free throws. After averaging 5.3 free-throw attempts per game over the Hawks' first 15 contests this season, Young is now averaging 7.0 attempts over his past 10 games.&nbsp;
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (13-12) 🔼 Last Week: 18
The Cavs had won four in a row before falling to the Jazz and Bucks in a torturous back-to-back set on Monday and Tuesday. Jarrett Allen has been a beast since returning to action in late November. Over his last eight games, Allen is averaging 22.6 points, 11.8 boards and 1.9 blocks while shooting 73% (!!) from the floor and 78% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
16. Dallas Mavericks (11-11) 🔽 Last Week: 11
The Mavs have lost 4 of their last 5, and 7 of their previous 9 contests. In Saturday's loss to the Grizzlies, they were forced to play without both Luka Doncic (left ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (left knee contusion). Fortunately for Dallas, Porzingis said he expects to play Tuesday night against Brooklyn, and both Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. (right knee contusion) have been upgraded to probable for Tuesday's matchup vs. the Nets.&nbsp;
17. Los Angeles Lakers (12-12)&nbsp;🔽 Last Week: 16
The Lakers host the Celtics on Tuesday, but then play 5 of their next 6 games on the road. Head coach Frank Vogel did say Monday that Trevor Ariza was able to participate in live-action practice for the first time since he underwent ankle surgery back in October, indicating Ariza's rehab is progressing in the right direction.
18. Denver Nuggets (11-12) 🔽 Last Week: 13
In their last 10 games, the Nuggets are just 2-8, but those defeats certainly can't be pinned on Nikola Jokic. Denver went 0-4 in the four games Jokic missed due to injury, and in the six games he's played in, Joker is averaging 26.0 points, 13.2 rebounds and 7.8 dimes. On Monday, he notched his 60th career triple-double, passing Larry Bird for eighth place on the all-time career list.
19. New York Knicks (11-12) 🔽 Last Week: 15
The 'Bockers have lost three in a row, and for the first time since Tom Thibodeau was hired as head coach, the Knicks have given up more than 110 points in three consecutive defeats. Part of the reason for their struggles of late has been RJ Barrett's nasty shooting slump. Over the last month (13 games), Barrett is shooting 32.9% from the floor (50-of-152), 22.4% from downtown (13-of-58) and 66.7% from the stripe (22-of-33).
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-13) 🔼 Last Week: 19
Karl-Anthony Towns (tailbone contusion) returned to the lineup Monday night and chipped in 31 points and 16 rebounds, but KAT couldn't prevent Minnesota from losing its third straight game. The Wolves host the Jazz on Wednesday.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
21. Toronto Raptors (11-13) 🔼 Last Week: 22
The Raps have won two games in a row and are finally showing some improvement on the defensive end. Toronto has held three consecutive opponents below 100 points for the first time all season.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (11-14) 🔽 Last Week: 21 
The Blazers were forced to play without Damian Lillard (abdomen injury), backup point guard Anfernee Simons (sprained right ankle) and CJ McCollum (rib contusion) Monday, and unsurprisingly fell to the Clippers. On Monday morning, The Athletic <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-damian-lillard-wants-to-play-with-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>: "In recent weeks, sources say Lillard has grown frustrated with the team's play and tension appears to be on the rise between the players and Billups."
23. Indiana Pacers (10-16) &harr;️ Last Week: 23
The Pacers secured a desperately needed victory Monday night over the Wizards. Indiana had lost four straight before Domantas Sabonis (30 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals) put the team on his back to lead them past the Wiz. Indy will look to maintain the positive momentum going Wednesday when they host the Knicks. It should be mentioned that the team is also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-moving-to-substantial-rebuild-listening-to-trade-calls-on-stars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mulling significant long-term changes</a> despite its latest win, per The Athletic.
24. Sacramento Kings (10-14) &harr;️ Last Week: 24
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/TerenceDavisJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TerenceDavisJr</a> had the hot hand in tonight's victory, with a season-high 28 pts (6-11 3PM) 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/nA9qo3Ckq0">pic.twitter.com/nA9qo3Ckq0</a>
&mdash; Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1467386806593146882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

The Kings beat the Clippers twice last week to improve to 4-3 in seven games under Alvin Gentry, despite playing without Harrison Barnes (right foot sprain) in each of their past five contests. Terence Davis stepped up in the two wins over L.A., tallying a combined total of 51 points on 18 of 30 shooting, including 11 of 20 from behind the arc.&nbsp;
25. San Antonio Spurs (8-14) &harr;️ Last Week: 25
The Spurs had their four-game winning streak snapped by the red-hot Suns on Monday night. San Antonio will look to get back on track on Tuesday when they begin a five-game homestand by hosting the Knicks.
26. Houston Rockets (7-16) 🔼 Last Week: 28
Yes, the league's longest winning streak (six games) belongs to the Rockets, just as we all predicted before Thanksgiving &mdash; when Houston was riding a 15-game losing skid. After four straight wins against teams at least 10 games below .500, the Rockets get a much tougher test this week. They play the East-leading Nets Wednesday and the world-champion Bucks on Friday.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-16) 🔽 Last Week: 26
The Thunder had lost eight straight before overcoming a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Detroit Pistons on the road Monday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for OKC, pouring in 30 points and dishing out a career-high 13 assists, while Luguentz Dort scored 28 points, including five made three-pointers.&nbsp;
28. New Orleans Pelicans (7-19) 🔽 Last Week: 27
The Pels' record is still awful, but it seems they are headed in the right direction. New Orleans is 4-3 over their last seven games, with all four of those victories coming against teams at or above .500. Brandon Ingram was a beast last week, averaging 30.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.0 made treys over a four-game stretch.
29. Orlando Magic (5-20) 🔼 Last Week: 30 
Although Orlando has lost 9 of their last 10 , Wendell Carter Jr. has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-orlando-magic-are-finding-their-front-court-of-the-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to play well</a>. He's averaging 15.6 points and 11.4 rebounds over the Magic's past seven contests. And, on the season, he's shooting nearly 36% from downtown. Over his first three years in the league, WCJ was 27-for-112 from behind the arc. In 2021-22, he is 35-of-98 from deep.&nbsp;
30. Detroit Pistons (4-19) 🔽 Last Week: 29
The Pistons have lost nine in a row, but after a slow start to the season, Cade Cunningham is establishing himself as a Rookie of the Year favorite. Over Detroit's past three games, Cade is averaging 24.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and 4.7 made treys while shooting 55.8% from the floor and 60.9% from downtown.&nbsp;

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Rockets, Grizzlies on unexpected winning streaks

Miles Bridges scored 32 points and the Charlotte Hornets, without four players, leaned on their best 3-point shooting game of the season and beat the Atlanta Hawks 130-127 on Sunday night.
Bridges made each of his four shots in the fourth quarter, when he scored 13 points.
&ldquo;I feel like that&rsquo;s a statement game, let people know that we&rsquo;re here,&rdquo; Bridges said.
Kelly Oubre Jr. made six 3s and scored 28 points for Charlotte. The Hornets made a season-high 17 3s.
Hawks coach Nate McMillan said the Hornets, even when short-handed, are &ldquo;probably the best catch-and-shoot team in the league.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We just really weren&rsquo;t able to get stops when we needed to,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;We scored 127 points. That&rsquo;s more than enough to win the game. It comes down to defensively being able to stop them and we weren&rsquo;t able to do that.&rdquo;
John Collins led Atlanta with a season-best 31 points and 12 rebounds.
Among the four Charlotte players held out after being placed in the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols was leading scorer LaMelo Ball. Also, starting guard Terry Rozier, the third-leading scorer, and two more usual rotation players &mdash; center Mason Plumlee and forward Jalen McDaniels &mdash; were held out. They&rsquo;ll be sidelined for at least 10 days.
&ldquo;It was about who wanted it more and we have some guys on our team who are just dogs and wouldn&rsquo;t be denied,&rdquo; Oubre said.
&ldquo;It was a blessing for us to go out and just compete and hold it down for our brothers.&rdquo;
Oubre, Ish Smith and Nick Richards moved into the starting lineup.
Bridges' 3 with 4:26 remaining gave Charlotte a 115-113 lead that it didn't relinquish. Oubre added another key 3 to push the lead to 122-116.
Trae Young's jumper with 22 seconds remaining cut Charlotte's lead to three points. Young scored 25 points and had a season-high 15 assists.
Atlanta's Kevin Huerter tried to counter Charlotte's long-distance game by making a career-best seven 3s, finishing with 28 points.
The Hornets made 53.5% of their shots from the field and 17 of 37 3s.
After trailing 74-63 early in the third quarter, the Hawks were boosted by three consecutive 3-pointers, including two by Collins, to cut the Hornets' lead to two points.
Atlanta led 89-87 before the Hornets regained momentum with a 12-0 run late in the third. Cody Martin had eight points, including two 3s, in the run.
TIP-INS
Hornets: Charlotte's previous high for 3s was 14 in a 127-125 loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday. The Hornets matched that through three quarters &mdash; after a late 3 by Martin to end the third was disallowed. ... Martin had a career-high 19 points and Gordon Hayward added 18.
Hawks: F Solomon Hill was helped to the locker room after he slipped, did a split, and suffered a right hamstring injury late in the first quarter. Minutes later, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game. ... After winning eight of their first 10 home games, the Hawks have suffered back-to-back losses at State Farm Arena. ... F Cam Reddish (non-COVID illness) and G Bogdan Bogdanovic (right ankle sprain) did not play for the third consecutive game. ... Young was listed as questionable before the game with left knee soreness.
HELP AT THE POINT
Smith, who led Charlotte with seven assists, started at point guard. Smith had help from Martin, who had four assists in addition to his scoring high.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a coincidence we win this game with Cody out there 32 minutes and has a plus-22,&rdquo; said Hornets coach James Borrego.
NO DEFENSE
Huerter said Atlanta&rsquo;s defense was &ldquo;pretty bad, plain and simple.&rdquo; He said inconsistency on defense has been an issue all season. &ldquo;What that is I can&rsquo;t put my finger on,&rdquo; he said.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
Hawks: Visit Minnesota on Monday.

Miles Bridges scored 32 points and the Hornets, without four players, leaned on their best three-point shooting game of the season and beat the Hawks.

Short-handed Hornets lean on threes, top Hawks 130-127

Once Nate McMillan moved over to the head coach&rsquo;s chair in place of Lloyd Pierce, who was fired after a 14-20 start, the Atlanta Hawks soared the rest of the season, finishing 27-11.
With an immense amount of youthful talent spearheaded by superstar point guard Trae Young, who continues to take leaps every year of his career, Atlanta finally saw everything click together for a magical run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
There was urgency within the Hawks&rsquo; front office to have the 2020-21 season see real improvements, which included making offseason splashes with Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari, and acquiring Clint Capela at the trade deadline beforehand. With the perfect blend of win-now veterans, ascending young prospects and a head coach providing accountability and structure, Atlanta&rsquo;s expectations for this season are sky-high.
Although the East saw vast improvements across the board, Atlanta nestles in nicely within the middle tier. Atlanta won&rsquo;t be challenging the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks or star-studded Brooklyn Nets, but there&rsquo;s some potential for them to push division-rival Miami Heat to the brink for the No. 3 seed.
The Hawks are now ahead of schedule in their rebuild, and a lot of it is due to how they have built splendidly around their point guard. Young is already one of the best pure players for his position in the Association, dicing up defenses as a scorer and facilitator. The soon-to-be fourth-year lead guard has always showcased his special talents &mdash; he broke out in 2019-20, averaging 29.6 points per game &mdash; however, the wins weren&rsquo;t stacking up before. It was a totally different story once the coaching change occurred. Atlanta rattled off wins thanks to its depth and starpower encompassed from Young.
Over the last two seasons, Young has emerged to true elite status in the NBA. He's averaged 27.5 points, 9.4 assists, 9.1 free throw attempts and 4.1 assists on an outstanding 59.2% True Shooting percentage. Only five players over that span joined Young, who amassed at least 27 points per game on a a 59+ TS%: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard. That&rsquo;s an All-NBA, MVP-contender realm Young has thrusted himself into this early in his career. Now entering his age-24 season, Young could soon become a dark-horse contender to become an MVP, especially if the Hawks continue their sudden rise as a legitimate contender.
Outside of Young, Atlanta has done a fantastic job insulating their star&rsquo;s biggest strengths on top of fielding a well-balanced rotation. Since beginning their rebuild attempt around Young, Atlanta has added all of the following players via the draft: Kevin Huerter, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okungwu, Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper. There&rsquo;s not been one miss (yet) on that list. Obviously, we need to see Johnson and Cooper on the floor, which might not happen early on with Atlanta&rsquo;s depth, but Huerter and Hunter (and Reddish) have already proven themselves. On top of that, the Hawks have Okungwu, who figures to be an integral piece to the Hawks&rsquo; long-term puzzle once he recovers from labrum surgery.
Continuing to stockpile ample perimeter shooting and defensive versatility, Atlanta has the ideal archetype in place to continue realizing its upward trajectory. Young can carry a team on his own, which has been proven over the last two seasons, but how general manager Travis Schlenk has gone about building everything else around his star guard has been nothing short of fantastic.
When an organization presses all the right buttons via every acquisition avenue, success will soon follow. That&rsquo;s exactly what happened with Atlanta, who now has the pillars in place to build a sustainable winner upon.
Now with a budding superstar, high-upside prospects, proven veteran pieces, a capable head coach &mdash; plus a front office willing to take risks when necessary &mdash; the Hawks aren&rsquo;t going anywhere. How do they stack up for the 2021-22 campaign, though? Let&rsquo;s take a peek at their projected rotation:
Starters: Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, John Collins, Clint Capela
Second Unit: Delon Wright, Lou Williams, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Danilo Gallinari, Gorgui Dieng
After McMillan took over, incredibly enough, the Hawks&rsquo; starters played zero minutes together until their deep playoff run. Even then, they only played five games together, spanning 98 total minutes due to Hunter&rsquo;s meniscus tear. Looking ahead to a full 82-game slate, the results look outstanding (health permitting) because Atlanta outscored its opponents by nearly 16 points per 100 possessions with that five-man unit (113.9 ORTG, 98.0 DRTG).
The bench is loaded to the gills with proven pieces as well, which doesn&rsquo;t even include Okungwu&rsquo;s looming return and two first-round rookies (Johnson and Cooper), plus veteran wing Solomon Hill. Atlanta&rsquo;s roster is capable of allowing every player to log minutes, which shows how well the team has done at building up their rotation. You will be hard-pressed to find many teams around the NBA who have a deeper roster than Atlanta&rsquo;s, which forecasts a rosy outlook for this upcoming season.
Will the Hawks be able to build off their shocking rise, or fall back down to Earth with disappointing results? I&rsquo;m betting on the former, because how the roster is built gives them ample leeway to survive the rigors of a full regular season.
The Hawks have a team capable of finishing, once again, with a top-five seed in the East. Now, with an offseason where they lost no key contributors elsewhere, all the ingredients are in place for a potential 50-win campaign.
Buy stock on the Hawks while you can &mdash; this is just the beginning for this organization returning to the ranks of contender status.

After a quick rise last season, the Hawks have the building blocks in place to realize their new status as a sustainable contender.

Hawks' well-balanced roster forecasts a real contender

As the final seconds ticked off on a season that lasted far longer than anyone expected, the crowd rose to its feet to salute the home team.
The Atlanta Hawks sure earned the cheers.
Making an improbable turnaround from what looked like another lost year, the Hawks <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-washington-wizards-new-york-knicks-nba-sports-2396183616449b68485403a291785c61" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned a spot in the playoffs</a> for the first time since 2017, knocked off the top-seeded team in the East, and made it all the way to the conference finals.
The Cinderella run finally ended Saturday night with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-phoenix-suns-milwaukee-bucks-nba-finals-nba-86a45418b2bf41ffcd7e53a00e0f7044" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 118-107 loss</a> to the Milwaukee Bucks, who won the series 4-2 and advanced to the NBA Finals to take on the Phoenix Suns.
But the disappointing finish did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of a long-downtrodden franchise that seems poised for more long-term success than at any time since moving to Atlanta in 1968.
&ldquo;This is the beginning,&rdquo; Trae Young said. &ldquo;We have the city excited and we want to keep it like that.&rdquo;
The Hawks will likely bring back largely the same cast next season, though they do have two major issues to address: power forward John Collins&rsquo; contract status and the interim tag on Nate McMillan&rsquo;s coaching title. Each boosted his value with the team's improbable postseason run.
&ldquo;Obviously it's something I feel like I&rsquo;ve voiced my opinion about a lot, saying I want to be here,&rdquo; Collins said Sunday. "I&rsquo;ve tried to be the best professional I can and let the business side be the business side.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to have to come to a decision very soon, but hopefully the best one for me and the one that keeps me here.&rdquo;
Veteran backup Solomon Hill said Sunday he expects McMillan to return unless another team &ldquo;gave him a zillion dollars and some ownership stake.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s doing the things he has to do to take care of himself and his family, just like anybody and everybody else would do,&rdquo; Hill said. &ldquo;But Nate is our coach. He&rsquo;s just waiting to get the final details and all that stuff. Like I said, unless the Orlando Magic came in and gave him a hundred million a year or something crazy, Nate McMillan is going to be our coach.&rdquo;
McMillan and Young led the young team on a memorable postseason run.
With Young turning in one dominant performance after another, Atlanta romped past the resurgent New York Knicks in the opening round, then stunned the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-ga-state-wire-philadelphia-76ers-atlanta-hawks-los-angeles-clippers-ee1e636c2c3bfa3257fb1975c5b452ac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winning Game 7</a> on the road.
The Hawks finally met their match against Milwaukee. They were left to wonder how things might've turned out if Young had not been injured in a freak accident in Game 3 when he stepped on an official's foot along the sideline and twisted his right ankle.
Young missed the next two games with a bone bruise and, even though he was cleared to play Game 6, he clearly wasn't at his best. The charismatic point guard finished with just 14 points on 4-of-17 shooting.
&ldquo;I just wanted to battle and try to fight through it as much as I could, try to be out there for my team,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;But it was definitely frustrating not being healthy and not being able to give my full 100%.&rdquo;
After <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wa-state-wire-new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-72cdc51061aa60e1cd2e7d87340da28c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggling in the playoffs</a> in his previous coaching stops, McMillan showed that he's capable of leading a team to postseason success.
There was nothing exciting about the Hawks the past three seasons. They endured lots of losing while rebuilding the roster around a string of bountiful drafts that brought in Young, Collins, Kevin Huerter, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish.
Flush with cash and finally ready to make a push in the standings, the Hawks spent big in the free-agent market last fall to bring in Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Galinari, giving the team a much-needed veteran presence.
But when the Hawks approached the All-Star break with a 14-20 record, it looked like more of the same. Lloyd Pierce was fired as coach after less than three seasons on the job, the team turning to McMillan as the interim boss in hopes he could spark a turnaround.
Boy, did he ever.
With McMillan instilling a newfound toughness that paid off in the fourth quarter of close games, the Hawks played as well as any team in the league the rest of the season &mdash; a 27-11 mark that gave them the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk, who has seemingly made all the right moves in building the roster, is clearly not sure if he wants to tie up so much money on Collins &mdash; especially when it's clear that Young is the face of the franchise and will soon be getting a huge deal of his own.
Young is eligible for a max extension.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a big live in the moment type of person,&rdquo; Young said Sunday. &ldquo;Hopefully it comes. We&rsquo;ll have to wait and see when it happens.&rdquo;
Even if the Hawks decide to part ways with Collins, they will go into next season viewed with a whole new respect by the rest of the league.
Reddish is 21. Young and Huerter are 22. Hunter is 23. Clint Capela, who led the NBA in rebounding and became <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ny-state-wire-new-york-knicks-philadelphia-76ers-atlanta-hawks-nba-d70d45d938fd5b24e11e33dae66411c3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the bulwark</a> of the Hawks' defense, is 27. Bogdanovic is 28.
And don't forget the most recent first-round pick, center Onyeka Okongwu, who had a promising rookie campaign at age 20.
Collins, who is just 23, would love to be part of the mix, as well.
&ldquo;We're not done yet,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re still hungry.&rdquo;
They appear ready to reap the rewards for years to come.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be back!&rdquo; Young yelled to the crowd on his way off the court.
&ldquo;I meant that with my whole heart,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a special season and I&rsquo;m excited about what&rsquo;s to come.&rdquo;

“This is the beginning,” Trae Young said of the Atlanta Hawks' run. “We have the city excited and we want to keep it like that.”

Hawks look to bright future after surprising playoff run

Chris Paul is now favored to win the NBA Finals MVP award, one day after he and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns were co-favorites in the legalized U.S. sports gambling market.
Both were 2-1 (+200) on Friday, but on Saturday, the market had shifted with Paul going to +175 and Booker to +230 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Deandre Ayton is the only other Phoenix player with odds lower than 100-1, sitting on DraftKings&rsquo; board at +2500.
The start date of the NBA Finals is not yet known because we still must learn whether the Milwaukee Bucks can finish off the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 tonight or whether the series will return to Milwaukee for a Game 7 on Monday night. Atlanta is favored by 2 points despite Trae Young being listed as questionable. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks is out with a hyperextended knee.
It is unknown whether Antetokounmpo will even be able to play again this postseason after injuring his knee in Game 4, yet he is the third choice on the Finals MVP wagering board at +400, followed by teammates Khris Middleton at +700 and Jrue Holiday at +1200.
Young is +1600, and no other players are lower than 100-1 at DraftKings.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Paul has accounted for 25% of the handle and 15% of the bets at DraftKings, said spokesman Stephen Miraglia. Booker&rsquo;s percentages are 10% of handle and 12% of bets; Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s percentages are 8 and 6; Young&rsquo;s are 7 and 5, Middleton&rsquo;s are 6 and 6 and Ayton&rsquo;s are 3% of handle and 5% of bets.
So, the way the sportsbooks see it, only six or seven guys have a chance at the award. Somewhere in America, Andre Iguodala is rolling his eyes. So, too, perhaps, are Cameron Johnson, Bobby Portis and P.J. Tucker, all of whom are 500-1 at DraftKings. The longest odds anywhere are +12500 on Lou Williams, Onyeka Okongwu, Tony Snell and Solomon Hill at Bet MGM, which has Giannis listed at only +275.
The last five NBA Finals MVPs (LeBron James twice, Kevin Durant twice and Kawhi Leonard once) have averaged at least 25.0 points per game in the postseason. However, six years ago, Iguodala averaged only 7.8 points and still won the award for his defense against James, a four-time Finals MVP. Nobody had ever won the award before with a scoring average in single figures.
It is notable that Ayton is taking 5% of the bets, because his price is enticing.
When the Suns played the Bucks during the regular season, Ayton had 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting in the first game, a 125-124 Phoenix victory. In their second meeting, he had 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting with 13 rebounds in a 128-127 Suns overtime victory.
When the Suns played the Hawks, Ayton had 13 points and 14 rebounds in a 117-110 victory, and then 7 points and 8 rebounds in a 135-103 loss to the Hawks in Atlanta. (Clint Capela shot 8-for-11 and had 18 points in that second game with 10 rebounds, so it should be noted that his odds for Finals MVP are +25000 at BetMGM and FanDuel.)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
But first things first, which is getting to the NBA Finals.
The Bucks and Hawks are still not there yet, and if Atlanta wins tonight, we have to prepare for an epic Game 7 on Monday. That is a lot of time for the odds to move, and given the popularity of Paul, his odds may get even shorter.
No matter who comes out of the East, it is worth noting that Jae Crowder, who would draw the defensive assignment on Antetokounmpo if the Suns play the Bucks, is not even on the board at DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook. BetMGM.com has Crowder listed at +12500 and Brook Lopez listed at +6600.
DraftKings and Fan Duel both have Lopez at +10000. If he continues shooting 93%, that is not a bad bet.

Chris Paul is now favored to win the NBA Finals MVP award. He has accounted for 25% of the handle and 15% of the bets at DraftKings.

Suns' Chris Paul is now favored to win NBA Finals MVP

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Trae Young and the inexperienced Atlanta Hawks seemingly aren&rsquo;t feeling the pressure of NBA playoff basketball.
They are loose and confident. The Hawks don't get rattled. They are 4-0 in postseason games decided by three points or less, and 6-1 when the margin is seven points or below.
&ldquo;When you have a group that really believes in each other and really is fighting on the court for each other, anything can happen,&rdquo; Young said Wednesday after the Hawks&rsquo; 116-113 Game 1 victory. &ldquo;I think our team really believes that, and it&rsquo;s been working.&rdquo;
The Hawks have jumped out to 1-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks heading into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals Friday night. The fifth-seeded Hawks have gone 6-2 in playoff road games as they chase the franchise&rsquo;s first title since 1958, when they were based in St. Louis.
Young&rsquo;s 48-point performance in Game 1 was the second-highest playoff total in franchise history, behind Dominique Wilkins&rsquo; 50-point effort in Game 2 of a 1986 first-round series triumph over Detroit. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Young was the first player ever to have at least 45 points and 10 assists in a Conference Finals game.
He&rsquo;s doing it with a flair and ease as he enjoys a coming out in the postseason, showcasing his skills in front of national television audiences who hadn&rsquo;t seen much of the Hawks before the playoffs.
After faking out Milwaukee&rsquo;s Jrue Holiday on a crossover late in the third quarter to leave himself wide open behind the 3-point arc, Young paused and did a little shimmy before making his shot.&nbsp;Also in the third quarter, <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1407882260372770825" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Young set up teammate John Collins for a dunk with a pass off the backboard.</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WITH THE SHIMMY. <a href="https://t.co/h6SmlIoB4U">pic.twitter.com/h6SmlIoB4U</a>
&mdash; Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1407883129147244547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen a lot of players just retreat whenever they get on this stage,&rdquo; said Hawks center Clint Capela, who reached the West finals with Houston in 2015 and 2018. &ldquo;What I see from him is so much confidence, fearless, attacking again and again. It&rsquo;s really contagious on our team.&rdquo;
The Hawks&rsquo; relative lack of postseason experience hasn&rsquo;t hurt them at all. Without being weighed down by expectations or memories of previous playoff disappointments, the Hawks are playing their best when games are on the line.
Atlanta&rsquo;s knack for winning close games started soon after the Hawks fired coach Lloyd Pierce and replaced him with Nate McMillan.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Under Pierce, the Hawks were 1-6 in games that were decided by no more than five points or went into overtime. After McMillan&rsquo;s arrival, the Hawks finished the regular season by going 8-2 in games that fit that profile.
The trend has continued in the postseason.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve built a confidence, so you&rsquo;ve got to break that,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Thursday. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to win some of the close games. But a lot of credit to them, a lot of respect for how they&rsquo;ve played in close games in the playoffs and the regular season. We&rsquo;ve got to be prepared and be ready. &rdquo;
Hawks reserve forward Solomon Hill was part of the Miami Heat team that won the East as a No. 5 seed last year. Hill says the Hawks are thriving on the same underdog mentality that drove the Heat.
&ldquo;That was one thing that was huge about Miami,&rdquo; Hill said Thursday. &ldquo;The belief in ourselves was greater than anybody else&rsquo;s belief in us. There was nobody that wanted to win it more than the guys in the locker room. It showed with sacrifices. It showed with hard work. It showed with the hustle mentality that we had. And that&rsquo;s the same thing showing up here.&rdquo;
The Hawks are doing this at far less than full strength.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is playing with a sore right knee that has limited his effectiveness. Cam Reddish is back from an Achilles injury that knocked him out for four months, but the Hawks plan to work him in slowly after such a long layoff. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is out for the remainder of the postseason after undergoing knee surgery.
Atlanta has withstood those injuries, rolling past New York and Philadelphia to reach the Conference Finals.
Young has been the catalyst. Even when he isn&rsquo;t shooting well he continues to have an impact. He controls the tempo of the game, gets to the free throw line and keeps teammates involved.
The Hawks have adopted his boldness and fearlessness, earning Game 1 road wins in each of the first three playoff rounds.
&ldquo;Everyone seems fearless on this stage,&rdquo; Hawks guard Kevin Huerter said. &ldquo;And he&rsquo;s obviously the ringleader of that.&rdquo;

The Atlanta Hawks, led by Trae Young, are feeling very confident and believe they can win this year's championship.

Surprising Hawks feeling confident: 'We're fearless on this stage'

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 48 points, Clint Capela converted a go-ahead putback with 29.8 seconds left and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 116-113 on Wednesday night to open the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Hawks improved to 6-2 in road playoff games this year and handed the Bucks their first home loss of the postseason.
Game 2 is Friday night in Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks. Jrue Holiday added 33 points and 10 assists.
Young was two points off his career high.
Khris Middleton missed a potential tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds. Although Middleton scored 15 points, he shot 6 of 23 and missed all nine of his 3-point attempts.
Antetokounmpo scored the first six points in a 9-0 run that turned a 98-96 deficit into a 105-98 advantage with 4:18 left. Holiday capped that spurt by sinking a 3-pointer after Antetokounmpo got the rebound on his own missed free throw.
But the Hawks scored the next five points, and the game went back and forth from there.
Middleton missed a pull-up jumper with about 43 seconds left with Milwaukee up 111-110. Young missed a driving layup attempt, but Capela grabbed his 19th rebound and scored to put the Hawks ahead for good.
After Milwaukee&rsquo;s Pat Connaughton shot an air-ball on a 3-pointer, Young made two free throws with 17.3 seconds remaining. Antetokounmpo made a pair of free throws with 5.3 seconds left, but Young brought the lead back to three and closed the scoring by sinking two free throws of his own with 4.6 seconds remaining.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Cam Reddish was available to play for the first time in four months but didn&rsquo;t play. Reddish hadn&rsquo;t played since Feb. 21 due to a right Achilles injury. Hawks coach Nate McMillan had said before the game the Hawks would cautious with Reddish by keeping him behind Tony Snell and Solomon Hill in the rotation. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t had the opportunity for him to get in any five-on-five since he&rsquo;s been off,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been playing the last week or so some two-on-two, three-on-three.&rdquo; &hellip; Atlanta is the third team since 1984 to make the conference finals despite having a losing record at the All-Star break. The others were the 2012 Boston Celtics and the 1984 Phoenix Suns. The Hawks were 16-20 at the break.
Bucks: Bobby Portis came off the bench with 4 1/2minutes left in the first quarter. Portis hadn&rsquo;t played a single minute in the last three games of the Nets series. ... Milwaukee fell to 11-3 in playoff games at Fiserv Forum. &hellip; This is the fifth time the Bucks and Hawks have faced off in the playoffs and their first postseason matchup since the Hawks won 4-3 in a 2010 opening-round series. They&rsquo;ve split the four previous matchups.
___
<a href="https://twitter.com/stevemegargee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow Steve Megargee</a>. <a href="https://apnews.com/NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More AP NBA</a>.

Trae Young scored 48 points and the Hawks beat the Bucks 116-113 on Wednesday night to open the Eastern Conference Finals.

Trae Young scores 48 points, Hawks beat Bucks 116-113 in Game 1

I'm not sure who could've predicted this Eastern Conference Finals.
On one side, the Milwaukee Bucks are seeing the fruits of their switch-it-up labor. They've tinkered all year long in preparation of this postseason. They mollywhopped the Miami Heat in round one. They then snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, before snatching victory anyway in a seven-game slugfest against the Brooklyn Nets.&nbsp;
On the other side are the Atlanta Hawks, a team that didn't look playoff bound midway through the season due to injuries, roster instability, and coaching turmoil. The firing of Lloyd Pierce, and the subsequent hiring of Nate McMillan, jumpstarted their turnaround. They proved to be too prolific for the New York Knicks in round one, and too resilient for the Philadelphia 76ers in round two.
And so, here we are. Two teams with unique (and oft-hated) offensive engines. Two teams that have had a microscope on their head coaching jobs for different reasons. Two teams that haven't won a title in decades, both presented with the opportunity to make the Finals.
I&rsquo;m not a coach -- I'm just a pun-loving basketball fan with a hankering for film breakdowns. But instead of a traditional series preview, I decided to go into the basketball trenches and devise gameplans for both teams. The tone of this piece will be a little more informal, but it will still be informative (at least I hope).
Without further ado, let's look at how the Milwaukee Bucks will try to stop the Atlanta Hawks.
Defensive Matchups
Jrue Holiday --&gt; Trae Young
Pat Connaughton --&gt; Kevin Huerter
Khris Middleton --&gt; Bogdan Bogdanovic
Giannis Antetokounmpo --&gt; John Collins
Brook Lopez --&gt; Clint Capela
The core four + PJ Tucker lineup has performed well this postseason (plus-10.3 net rating in 133 minutes), though it may make sense to downsize with Connaughton in this matchup.
That unit has also worked well (plus-8.3 in 38 minutes), and having Connaughton on the floor may make it a little more difficult to hide Young on the other end. Connaughton has some value as a ghost screener, while Tucker is primarily used to space in the corner or lurk around the dunker spot for offensive rebounds.
Top Priority on Defense: Disrupt Early offense
The Hawks aren't a team that wants to play particularly fast. They rank in the bottom third of the league in seconds per possession off of missed shots and turnovers, per <a href="http://stats.inpredictable.com/nba/ssnTeamPoss.php?season=2020&amp;po=0&amp;frdt=2020-12-22&amp;todt=2021-06-20&amp;view=off&amp;sort=aotopdr&amp;order=DESC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inpredictable tracking data</a>.&nbsp;
Being okay with grinding down possessions doesn't mean they can't attack early.&nbsp;They'll mix in a variety of looks to keep you off-balance.
A favorite, and one that Bucks fans in particular should recognize: a quick-hitter in which a player receives an off-ball screen in the middle of the floor, then immediately flows into a pick-and-roll. Call it Middleton Action if you want. There's also a built-in hand-back option if the middle screen doesn't gain enough traction.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;">
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/p1s2sp" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
</div>
"Pistol" action is also a favorite of theirs. Combining a guard screen (and flare) with an empty corner set-up can be incredibly difficult to defend.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/0ln57h" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Ultimately, the Hawks remain the NBA's preeminent Double Drag team. Young trotting up the court with a pair of screeners waiting for him is a scary sight.
One screener, likely Capela, will dive the basket. The other screener -- mostly Collins, but sometimes the guards get involved -- will pop above the break or flare out to the wing. Young can hit the roller, hit the pop, get downhill for floaters, or make corner skips. It's a nightmare, really.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/1m9339" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
No team ran more "double-pick" plays than the Hawks this season, per Second Spectrum tracking data. They generated a healthy 1.1 points per possession on those looks; that number ballooned to [checks notes] over 1.9 points per possession on 26 direct hookups against the Bucks this season. That is a small sample, but it gives you an idea of how deadly the Hawks can be.
Being able to contain those kind of actions will force&nbsp;the Hawks to play deeper into the clock. No matter the comfort level, that's still a tough diet to live on.
Hawks' Team Stats (and Atlanta's stats vs. Milwaukee)&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 114.3, 9th (113.2)</li>
<li>Half-Court Offensive Rating: 99.2, 9th (108.8)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 58.1, 10th (58.7)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 59.1, 18th (60.3)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 13.3, 10th (10.5)</li>
<li>Pace: 98.68, 22nd (98.67)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 24.2, 4th (21.3)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 81.2, 5th (81.3)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 33.4, 19th (36.0)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 37.3, 12th (38.0)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 10.6, 7th (6.0)</li>
</ul>
Hawks' Play Type Breakdown
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2021-06-22-at-12-31-41-am.png" alt="" width="751" height="325" />
Defending Trae Young
How much is there to say about Young at this point?&nbsp;
His blend of scoring and playmaking chops are rivaled by a handful of players in the NBA. He's faced two strong defenses in the postseason, and neither was able to consistently slow him down. It's hard to scoff at 29 and 10, even with the efficiency taking a hit from the regular season (55.3 TS%).
Young struggled in his lone showing against the Bucks this season -- 15 and 9 with six turnovers, while shooting 3-of-17 from the field -- though that was an outlier performance based on the shots he took (and&nbsp; missed). He is absolutely good enough to shape this series in his image if he isn't pressured.
Major Key: Restrict his Airspace
There isn't a good answer for a guy like Young, particularly in ball screens. He's a fearless pull-up threat with range extending to darn-near half-court. The danger levels rise when he gets downhill.
He's the most prolific floater taker (and maker) in the NBA; per Synergy, Young led the NBA in points off floaters (332), edging out second-place Richaun Holmes (226) by 106 points.&nbsp;
Put another way: Young took 345 floaters, while Holmes and third-in-points Luka Doncic took 347 combined.
It's the ultimate Small Guy Weapon, made even more dangerous by the fact that Young's floater looks identical to his lob pass. Backpedaling defenders don't know whether to step to give a moderate contest, or hang back to take away lob passes.
Defending Young in ball-screens will have to be a 2-on-2 endeavor if possible. This may not be a deep-drop series. Young shot 3-of-17 in the regular-season meeting, but he missed a ton of makeable shots that, frankly, he didn't have to work super hard to get.
The gameplan will need to resemble what was seen in the semis against Kevin Durant. Lopez may not have to be above the three-point line like he was against those Durant-Bruce Brown pick-and-rolls near half court. As hot as Young can run as a pull-up shooter, he is not Durant in that regard.
However, the answer probably isn't hanging back a step or two below the free throw line either. Finding that middle ground would allow time for Young's defender (mostly Holiday) to recover.&nbsp;
We talk about "rearview contests" when it comes to point-of-attack defenders in drop coverage. It's important for guys to be able to recover and contest shots from behind, making the ball-handler squirm a bit.&nbsp;
Young has removed that from the table with his ability to stop-and-pop. Quibble about those foul calls if you want, but it's a smart (and legal) way to make him even more difficult to defend. If he gets you on his hip, you're pretty much done for.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/17ag2f" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Again, infuriating. But again, smart and legal.&nbsp;
Instead of straight-line recovery paths, taking a different angle to end up on Young's side (instead of his hip) may be the best way to bother him. Peep this rep from Middleton.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/xry89r" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<div class="c-message_kit__gutter">
<div class="c-message_kit__gutter__right" data-qa="message_content">
<div class="c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text">
<div class="c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer" data-qa="block-kit-renderer">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first">
<div class="p-rich_text_block" dir="auto">
<div class="p-rich_text_section">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="p-rich_text_section">With that plan, Young would have to go with a super unnatural shooting motion to lean in and draw fouls that way. He still could -- he's that slithery -- but it's at least extra work. That kind of extra work, with his usage, can add up over the course of the series.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
If the deeper drop remains a default, that will not only put strain on Young's defender. It'll also require some extra help off the ball. You can afford to have Lopez deeper in the paint, the last line of defense, if there's someone who can throw off Young's cadence in the intermediate area. Timely digs from the perimeter will be key in this instance.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/5d40od" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Jeff Teague (I would hope there won't be any Teague in this series) gets lost in the sauce early, while Bobby Portis is dropping&nbsp;from&nbsp;the dotted line area. Tucker is able to bridge the gap by showing some help right as Young begins his gather. That can work on occasion; you just have to be weary of Young making kick-outs.
Something to consider: one way to cut off Young's rhythm could be to switch. That will depend on the personnel on the floor, as well as who Young's partner is in ball-screen actions.
(Quietly, this is the case to keeping Tucker in the starting lineup. Switching Young-Bogdanovic or Young-Huerter pick-and-rolls, whichever assignment Tucker draws, could put a dent into Young's mismatch hunting.)
In terms of the partnerships, switching the Young-Collins pick-and-roll should be worth considering. The two generated just 0.94 points per possession when facing a switch, well below their overall efficiency (1.06 PPP) per Second Spectrum.
Forcing Young to shoot over the outstretched limbs of Giannis may be a worthwhile gamble. Collins has been a menace on the block against guards (1.23 PPP), though Holiday is not your ordinary guard (0.88 PPP allowed on post-ups).
Defending the Shooters (Perimeter)
Lou Williams: Soft close-out
<ul>
<li>It seems counterintuitive based on his production. Williams shot north of 44% from three as a Hawk this season, though did so on low volume. The argument is that Williams, even at this stage, is more dangerous getting downhill (and grifting for fouls) than he is as a three-point marksman. Show him you're coming without getting too close to him; that could eliminate some of his pump-and-drive or pump-and-lean-in game.</li>
</ul>
Kevin Huerter: Hard close-out to his right hand
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Huerter is a lights-out shooter, a career 38% marksman with volume and shot versatility. He can drain spot-up shots, convert on pump-and-sidestep looks, and is a willing relocator when the action is flowing elsewhere. Running Huerter off the line makes sense; doing so and forcing him to use his left is the optimal outcome. He already isn't a rim threat, and has oddly shot much worse on pull-ups when driving left.</li>
</ul>
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2021-06-22-at-9-59-16-am.png" alt="" width="1013" height="325" />
Bogdan Bogdanovic: Hard, but controlled close-out
<ul>
<li>Bogdanovic is an elite shooter with a high release point. He cares not for your contests; per Synergy, Bogdanovic ranked in the 91st percentile on "guarded" catch-and-shoot looks. That doesn't mean you don't try, but you also don't want to get sloppy. He absolutely has the playmaking chops to beat a rotating defense, and complements that with a more complete scoring arsenal than Huerter. Don't let him get busy.</li>
</ul>
Tony Snell: Hard close-out
<ul>
<li>Snell hasn't shot well this postseason, but he has long earned the pedigree of a high-level spot-up shooter. He also... doesn't do much else with the ball. Force him off the line and make him make decisions.</li>
</ul>
Defending the Shooters (Frontcourt)
Danilo Gallinari: Hard close-out
<ul>
<li>Gallinari can stroke it from deep (career 38.2% shooter on 5.2 attempts), and resides in the cares-not-for-your-contest division. Injuries and age have sapped a lot of his burst off the bounce; running him off the line and forcing him to beat you with drives, pull-ups, and tough turnarounds might be a reasonable bet.</li>
</ul>
Solomon Hill: Let him fire
<ul>
<li>Hill has shot above league average from three once in his career, and even that mark (36.8% in 2019-20) came on relatively low volume (2.9 attempts). He's okay from the corners (career 36.6%), but it's underwhelming considering a majority of those looks have been wide open. Muck up the action elsewhere.</li>
</ul>
John Collins: Soft close-out
<ul>
<li>At a certain point, the scouting report on Collins has to change a bit. We're now two years into Collins becoming a stretch option; he's drilled 40% of his threes over the past two seasons on moderate volume. He's shooting 39% in the postseason. His release is a bit slow so there's no need to blitz him, but he's at least graduated from "tip-your-cap-if-he-beats-us" status.</li>
</ul>
X-Factor: Bogdan Bogdanovic
Bogdanovic has been huge for this Hawks team all season, thriving as a secondary option and completely taking over games when he's rolling. To that point: Bogdanovic dropped 28-6-7 against the Bucks on April 15, then dropped 32 on them on April 25.&nbsp;His shot-making is a perfect complement to, and occasionally a cover for, Young.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/uvxbey" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The issue is less about Bogdanovic's playoff mettle, and more about his health. He suffered a knee injury early in Game 6. It didn't keep him out of Game 7, but he was clearly hampered (four points on 2-of-8 shooting in 21 minutes).
This isn't a profound point, but the Hawks will need him to be at or near full strength to have a hope in this series. And to that point, pressuring Bogdanovic will go a long way to stifling Atlanta's half-court attack.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scouting-report-how-the-hawks-can-stop-the-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out Nekias' breakdown of how the Hawks should defend the Bucks.</a>

Nekias Duncan puts on his amateur coaching hat and puts together a game plan on how the Bucks should defend the Hawks.

Scouting Report: How the Bucks can stop the Hawks

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; The Atlanta Hawks may be without their top three-point shooter with their season on the line.
Bogdan Bogdanovic's status is uncertain for Sunday night's Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series at Philadelphia due to a knee injury.
Bogdanovic left Friday night's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-philadelphia-76ers-nba-sports-882651fc48c5438bba0e6710d3ab31b9">104-99 home loss</a> to the 76ers in the fourth quarter with right knee soreness and did not return.
Coach Nate McMillan said Saturday the soreness is not related to the fracture in the same knee which forced Bogdanovic to miss 25 games early in the season.
Asked if he is optimistic Bogdanovic can return for the decisive game of the series, McMillan said &ldquo;I really don&rsquo;t know or have an answer to that question. ... We&rsquo;ll see how he feels later today and tomorrow.&rdquo;
Bogdanovic struggled before leaving Friday night's game. He made only 3 of 11 shots and scored only seven points. After scoring <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-philadelphia-76ers-nba-71f054568ae04112c8e617c21fbb68aa">22 points in Game 4</a>, he managed only six points in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-jazz-atlanta-hawks-philadelphia-76ers-los-angeles-clippers-nba-c829bb0fb3a26cb099ddf44e7050ae7b">Wednesday night's Game 5</a> win.
&ldquo;Basically this came about in the last game or so,&rdquo; McMillan said of Bogdanovic's sore knee. "It&rsquo;s nothing related to the injury earlier in the season.&rdquo;
Perhaps the most telling sign the knee was affecting the guard's performance on Friday night came when Bogdanovic missed each of two free-throw attempts early in the fourth quarter.
If Bogdanovic can't play, it would be another blow to the Hawks' perimeter depth. The team already has lost former starter De'Andre Hunter, who had surgery to repair a small tear of the lateral meniscus in his right knee and is out for the postseason.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Kevin Huerter, who would be an option to fill in for Bogdanovic at shooting guard, already has moved into Hunter's small forward spot.
Bogdanovic had been Atlanta's second-leading scorer in the postseason, averaging 15.4 points before Friday night. He averaged 16.4 points in the regular season and was a key to Atlanta's strong finish to the regular season. Since April 1, he led the Eastern Conference with 128 3-pointers.
Trea Young, who scored 34 points on Friday night, would have to carry an even bigger scoring load if Bogdanovic can't play.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to be ready to play with or without him,&rdquo; Young said Friday night. &ldquo;Obviously he&rsquo;s a big piece of our team and brings a lot of scoring. ... Nobody is going to feel sorry for us if we lose. We&rsquo;ve got to go out there and play hard.&rdquo;
Lou Williams, who did not score while missing each of his five shots on Friday night, could be forced into a bigger role in Game 7. Other options include Tony Snell and Solomon Hill.
___
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More AP NBA</a>

The Atlanta Hawks may be without their top three-point shooter with their season on the line.

Sore knee threatens Bogdanovic's status for Hawks in Game 7

The NBA champion this season will be the last team standing.
Perhaps literally.
Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers missed Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals with a knee sprain and amid concerns that it could be a far more significant injury. Brooklyn&rsquo;s Kyrie Irving has been sidelined by a badly sprained ankle. Philadelphia&rsquo;s Joel Embiid is playing through a meniscus tear. Atlanta&rsquo;s Trae Young is putting heat packs on his shoulder that appear to be roughly the size of a small vehicle. Brooklyn&rsquo;s James Harden came back despite an ailing hamstring.
Those are big names, All-Star names, all nowhere near their best right now because of injuries, and there were plenty of other top players &mdash; the Lakers&rsquo; duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Denver&rsquo;s Jamal Murray and Miami&rsquo;s Victor Oladipo among them &mdash; that also either limped to the finish of their seasons or saw them end prematurely because of serious injury.
&ldquo;This is the best time of the year for our league and fans but missing a ton of our fav players,&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1405236532215095301?s=20">James tweeted on Wednesday.</a> &ldquo;It&rsquo;s insane. If there&rsquo;s one person that know about the body and how it works all year round it&rsquo;s ME! I speak for the health of all our players and I hate to see this many injuries this time of the year. Sorry fans wish you guys were seeing all your fav guys right now.&rdquo;
Consider the 27 players who were selected for the All-Star Game this season. Leonard becomes the eighth of those to have to miss a playoff game this season because of injury, joining Davis, Utah teammates Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell, Boston&rsquo;s Jaylen Brown, Harden, Irving and Embiid.
Phoenix&rsquo;s Chris Paul might become the ninth on that list. He&rsquo;s not hurt. He&rsquo;s in protocols &mdash; that other thing that the league has had to fight with all season.
Even though the arenas are full and masks are now largely optional, the pandemic is still here and might have a say in how the rest of these playoffs go as well. Paul, who is vaccinated, has entered the protocols presumably because of a positive test &mdash; only one player tested positive this week, and he&rsquo;s the only one in the protocols. As such, his status for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals next week is unknown.
Another All-Star, another curveball from the basketball gods overseeing luck right now.
&ldquo;Our guys are ready for the challenge,&rdquo; Phoenix coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;Everybody&rsquo;s dealing with it. Look around the league; Philly&rsquo;s got a situation, the Clippers have a situation, Utah&rsquo;s had one for a while. Everybody&rsquo;s dealing with it. So, we don&rsquo;t feel like we&rsquo;re the only ones dealing with a situation when it comes to health and trying to stay healthy. It&rsquo;s what you prepare for as a staff and as a team and we feel like our guys are ready for whatever presents itself.&rdquo;
Some injuries, it can be argued, may have happened because of an accumulation of wear and tear in a compressed 72-game season. Others were simply acute, the bad luck variety. Irving landing on Giannis Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s foot and twisting his ankle had nothing to do with the Nets playing a bunch of back to backs this season. James labored through a high ankle sprain for the rest of the season after getting crashed into by Atlanta&rsquo;s Solomon Hill. More bad luck.
And it should be mentioned that injuries also played a role in last season&rsquo;s playoffs, and probably have in every season&rsquo;s playoffs. Miami was without Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo for much of the NBA Finals last fall against James, Davis and the Lakers; the Heat lost that series in six games.
But there's no denying that this regular season was dominated by the pandemic and by injuries. It's unfortunate, though weirdly fitting, that the playoffs are following suit.
A month or so from now, the NBA will have a new champion. Odds are, it'll be the team that stays the healthiest the rest of the way.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The NBA champion this season will be the last team standing...perhaps, literally.

The NBA playoffs have entered survivor mode

Trae Young overcame a cold start to score 25 points, including a floater that gave Atlanta the lead with 1:17 remaining, and the Hawks rallied to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 103-100 on Monday night, tying the Eastern Conference semifinal at 2-2.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Trae Young threw DIMES tonight 👀 25 PTS | 18 AST | 57.8 FPTS Hawks win a thriller to tie the series up 2-2! <a href="https://t.co/PEDMFXf8dn">pic.twitter.com/PEDMFXf8dn</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1404625574321180673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Philly blew an 18-point lead and may have bigger concerns: Big man Joel Embiid spent time in the locker room in the second quarter and didn't make a field goal in the second half. Embiid has been playing with torn cartilage in his right knee.
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 22 points for the Hawks, and John Collins had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Young made only 8 of 26 shots but had 18 assists.
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
Embiid finished with 17 points and 21 rebounds. Tobias Harris scored 20 points for the Sixers, and Seth Curry had 17, missing a potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Sixers led 60-42 late in the first half but Atlanta chipped away in the third quarter. Bogdanovic opened the final period with a 3-pointer to give Atlanta its first lead of the half, 83-82.
Philadelphia led 98-94 before Collins' 3-pointer cut the lead to one point. Young's floater with 1:17 remaining gave Atlanta a 99-98 lead, and his two free throws when fouled by Embiid pushed the advantage to three.
The Hawks hung on from there, catching a break when Embiid missed a layup and the Sixers knocked the ball out of bounds with 7.8 seconds remaining.
Harris has scored at least 20 points in seven consecutive playoff games.
Young missed his first five shots from the field and had his right shoulder wrapped when he sat on the bench early in the second quarter. The Hawks did not announce an injury.
Young's frustration showed when he complained after being called for a foul on Embiid in the second quarter, leading to a technical foul.
After his shoulder was wrapped, Young made a short floater and then connected on two 3-pointers.
Embiid made a 3 after his time in the locker room. But he finished 4 of 20 from the floor &mdash; hardly the production the Sixers need from their star, who shot 51.3% in the regular season.
Hawks coach Nate McMillan tweaked his lineup, moving Kevin Huerter off the bench to replace Solomon Hill at small forward. The position has been in flux since De'Andre Hunter, the team's top perimeter defender, was lost for the remainder of the postseason with a right knee injury.
Ben Simmons was called for a flagrant-one foul after he hit Collins to stop Collins' attempt for a breakaway jam with 3:24 remaining in the third.
TIP-INS
76ers: Embiid's nine first-quarter rebounds are the most for a 76ers player in any quarter of a playoff game since the 1996-97 season. He had 13 points and 10 rebounds at halftime, his third career double-double in the first half of a playoff game. ... Furkan Korkmaz had 10 points after he was coach Doc Rivers&rsquo; choice to replace starting guard Danny Green, who suffered a strained right calf early in Game 3 and did not return. Green is expected to miss at least two weeks.
Hawks: Hunter is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday in Los Angeles to repair a tear of his lateral meniscus in the knee. ... Clint Capela had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Trae Young overcame a cold start to score 25 points, including a floater that gave Atlanta the lead late, and the Hawks rallied to beat the 76ers.

Trae Young leads Hawks' rally past Sixers with Joel Embiid hurting

John Collins already has seen what playoff success has done to raise the hometown excitement for the Atlanta Hawks.
Collins is eager for the opportunity to build more enthusiasm now that the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers has shifted to Atlanta.
With the series tied 1-1, Game 3 will be played on Friday.
There is less heading into Friday's Game 3 matchup between Phoenix and Denver. The Suns hold a 2-0 lead over the Nuggets in their Western Conference semifinal in a series that Phoenix seems to be in total control.
In Atlanta, the Hawks announced a sellout on Thursday for Game 3 and said only a few seats remain for Monday's Game 4.
The Hawks have won 13 consecutive home games, the longest active streak in the NBA. The streak includes two home wins as Atlanta <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-9b40f664f13b0e4d7d018ad92f53542e">beat the New York Knicks</a> in five games in the first round.
Collins said he found evidence of Atlanta's playoff fever at his neighborhood gas station.
&ldquo;I go into the same gas station I would go into every single time and the dude working the desk wouldn&rsquo;t know me until we beat New York and now I come in there and his face is lit up, you know what I mean?&rdquo; Collins said Thursday.
&ldquo;To me it was a small example of how deep we&rsquo;re touching the city. ... I&rsquo;d like to see more of that.&rdquo;
Collins, the power forward in his fourth season, and third-year point guard Trae Young are in the playoffs for the first time.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t speak for Trae but just watching him I can tell he just loves being in these type of moments," Collins said. "He loves the big stage and thrives in it.&rdquo;
Young has averaged 28.9 points in seven playoff games.
76ERS AT HAWKS
Game 3, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: Young had 35 points with 10 assists in Atlanta&rsquo;s Game 1 win but made only one of seven 3-pointers while scoring 21 points in the 76ers&rsquo; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-76ers-atlanta-hawks-shake-milton-milton-nba-8841cfdf5414737f5eaf27fc891c5811">118-102 Game 2 win</a> on Tuesday. The 76ers used 6-foot-11 Ben Simmons as the lead defender against Young. Simmons blocked one of Young's shots and likely will be part of the Game 3 defensive plan. Meanwhile, the Hawks will continue to seek ways to provide help for overmatched center Clint Capela against Embiid.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Philadelphia center Joel Embiid has a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-ga-state-wire-basketball-atlanta-hawks-philadelphia-76ers-04009cd0fac54e5b04f76754ca941a7e">combined 79 points</a> in the first two games against Atlanta. He has answered questions that a cartilage tear in his right knee would limit his production.
76ers coach Doc Rivers said Embiid is Philadelphia&rsquo;s &ldquo;trump card&rdquo; and &ldquo;a guy you can always go to.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The better your other guys are playing, the easier it is for your trump card to be dominant,&rdquo; Rivers said Thursday.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: The Hawks announced Wednesday De&rsquo;Andre Hunter will miss the remainder of the postseason due to right knee surgery scheduled for Tuesday. Hunter, the team&rsquo;s top perimeter defender, was held out the first two games due to soreness in the knee but he was effective against the Knicks.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big loss for us,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said Thursday. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big part of what we&rsquo;ve done.&rdquo;
The 76ers are still favored by 1 1/2 points, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports/navigation/830.1/10107.3">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Solomon Hill started but played only 8 minutes at Hunter's wing position in Game 2. Danilo Gallinari scored 21 points and Kevin Huerter added 20 off the bench.
Hunter could have been an important addition to Atlanta's rotation with his size when defending Tobias Harris. Though Gallinari and Huerter can play important roles, the defensive void left by Hunter's continued absence will be difficult to fill.
SUNS AT NUGGETS
Game 3, 10 p.m. EDT, ESPN
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Nuggets will try to recover from an embarrassing Game 2 blowout loss when the series shifts to Denver. The Suns showed impressive balance by taking a 2-0 lead with their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/co-state-wire-az-state-wire-los-angeles-lakers-denver-nuggets-phoenix-suns-5934ff644911c3682036c9b153d1b6a5"> 123-98 win</a> on Wednesday night. After eliminating the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, Phoenix is in command and has left Denver, led by newly named MVP Nikola Jokic, in a must-win position in Game 3. Jokic had 24 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: At 36, Suns guard Chris Paul seems ageless. He had 17 points, 15 assists and no turnovers in Game 2 and then said &ldquo;I feel really good.&rdquo; That's great news for Phoenix, especially following concerns about his sore right shoulder against the Lakers.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Denver swing forward Will Barton scored 10 points off the bench after missing 20 games with a hamstring injury. He played 16 minutes and may have his playing time restricted in Game 3.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. After he hurt his back in the first half of Game 1, Porter&rsquo;s shot was off in Game 2 as he made only 3 of 13 shots and scored 11 points. Porter is Denver's second shooting option after Jokic, leaving him in the spotlight to take more of the scoring burden off the MVP in Game 3.
With starting point guard Jamal Murray out for the season with a knee injury, there may be too much pressure on Porter, especially if he's less than full strength.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Both Atlanta and Denver are looking for some home cooking coming off their Game 2 losses on the road.

Hawks, Nuggets hope home court provides edge in semifinals

Trae Young has Atlanta floating through the postseason.
Young&rsquo;s soft release on his high arcing shot over taller defenders creates easy buckets. Sometimes the shots are confused for lobs and snatched by his teammates for easy jams (Clint Capela got credit in Game 1 for an accidental alley-oop).
His floater is automatic.
Take that away, no worries. Young is almost as skilled as knocking down 3s from just over the line &mdash; the half-court line.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really just figuring out what type of defense they&rsquo;re in and attack it,&rdquo; Young said.
Young took a bow in New York, then took his breakout postseason off-Broadway to Philadelphia where he helped the Hawks pull off a Game 1 stunner and grab control of the Eastern Conference semifinal.
He&rsquo;s like a slogan from those old Veg-O-Matic commercials: He floats! He lobs! And he julienned the Sixers into their worst half of the season.
What will Young do next?
&ldquo;This is his stage now,&rdquo; Hawks forward Solomon Hill said Monday. &ldquo;He has the opportunity to play the best basketball of his career at the right moment.&rdquo;
Game 2 is Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Young scored 25 of his 35 points in the first half of a 128-124 win on Sunday in a game where the Hawks led by as much as 26 points. Young&rsquo;s dominance at the basket may have fallen off a bit in the second half &mdash; as the Hawks saw their lead sliced to two &mdash; but not his court awareness. With the Sixers on a run, Young let an inbounds pass bounce and roll on the court <a href="https://twitter.com/johnhollinger/status/1401717213757726720">for nearly 20 seconds</a>, methodically devouring critical time needed in Philadelphia&rsquo;s comeback attempt.
Young joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the 1970 Milwaukee Bucks as the only players in NBA history to score 30 points in each of their first four career playoff road games.
Here&rsquo;s the hook for the rest of the series: If Young can maintain his pace &mdash; creating his own open looks and <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1401629437746159621">setting up teammates for their own</a> &mdash; then the Hawks just might be East contenders. Young downplayed his own milestones in the Game 1 win when he became the first player in Hawks history to score at least 35 points and have 10 assists in a playoff game.
&ldquo;None of these guys care about it in this room. All we care about is wins,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve been doing and taking care of business. We just have to have that same mentality going forward. If we do that, we&rsquo;ll be OK.&rdquo;
HAWKS AT 76ERS
Game 2, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: 76ers center Joel Embiid took at least one hard hit to the court when he lunged to commit a foul late in the game and acknowledged &ldquo;playing on a torn meniscus is not easy.&rdquo; Coach Doc Rivers said he checked in with Embiid about five times during the game to see if the big man was still feeling good enough to play through the cartilage tear in his right knee. Rivers often says all minutes are not played evenly, because superstars are asked to do more on both ends of the court, and Embiid played a hard 38 minutes.
Rivers said Embiid &ldquo;looked pretty good&rdquo; during a light workout on Monday.
&ldquo;I think we always have to worry,&rdquo; Rivers said Monday. &ldquo;I don't think we're out of the woods. I think after each game, he's going to be evaluated for a while. I don't know how long that lasts. It may be three, four, five games.&rdquo;
Embiid said there&rsquo;s not much he can do except keep the knee iced, keep it elevated and manage the pain and swelling. The NBA MVP candidate insisted if he&rsquo;s playing, he&rsquo;s not on the court worrying about his knee.
&ldquo;If you look at the history, every time I&rsquo;ve had an injury, it always feels like I never miss a beat,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I go out there and I&rsquo;m not thinking about what happened or what may be going on. It may be bothering me, but I&rsquo;m just not thinking about it. I just want to focus on giving my all, just playing hard every single possession.&rdquo;
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: The Sixers bench. Rivers stuck with his all-second team unit of Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, George Hill, Furkan Korkmaz and Dwight Howard in the first half even as the game got out of hand. The lineup was scoreless with five turnovers and was outscored 10-0 over a brutal 2:40 stretch that put the Sixers deeper in the hole. Hill and Howard, Embiid&rsquo;s backup, both went scoreless.
&ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t work, but neither did the first group early,&rdquo; Rivers said.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Hawks forward De&rsquo;Andre Hunter sat out Game 1 with a sore right knee. He did not practice Monday and will be a game-time decision for Game 2.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: 76ers guard Ben Simmons. He was an NBA defensive player of the year candidate for a reason, so it was a bit puzzling he didn&rsquo;t get an earlier call to guard Young. Danny Green instead had the assignment and could not stop Young in the first half.
Green said Monday it's not &ldquo;an individual effort&rdquo; to stop Young.
&ldquo;He's a great player. He's obviously figured it out,&rdquo; Green said.
Simmons had four steals in Game 1 and said he was ready to get the assignment on Young for Game 2. Much like he has all season, Simmons again struggled from the free-throw line, going 3 for 10. Simmons believes he could use 6-foot-10 frame against the 6-1 Young to his advantage.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking to come in there and see if I can be a little more physical next game and see if the refs are going to let us play a little bit,&rdquo; Simmons said.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

If Trae Young can maintain his pace — creating his own looks and setting up teammates — then the Hawks might be East contenders.

Trae Young shines for confident Hawks under playoff pressure

NEW YORK (AP) — Trae Young put the finishing touches on his impressive first playoff series with 36 points and nine assists, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the New York Knicks 103-89 on Wednesday night in Game 5. 
Clint Capela backed up his confident words from a day earlier with 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Hawks, who will play the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in their first trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2016. That series begins Sunday. 
Young never looked like a playoff rookie, hitting the winning shot with 0.9 seconds left in the opener and scoring at least 20 points in every game. He made a 3-pointer with 43 seconds left for a 15-point lead, then stood at midcourt and bowed to the crowd that jeered him all series.
The profane chants toward the point guard were less frequent than in Games 1 or 2. Young was never rattled by the fans, one of whom was banned after spitting on Young in Game 2.
Now he has silenced them for the summer.
Julius Randle had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks to finish his disappointing first postseason. The winner of the NBA's Most Improved Player award shot 8 for 21 from the field and finished 28 for 94 (29.8%) in the series.
He led the Knicks to a 41-31 record in their first season under Tom Thibodeau, with a pair of 40-point games during a three-game season sweep of Atlanta. But the Hawks were by far the better team in this series, with only a poor second half of Game 2 keeping them from a sweep.
That continued a strong surge for the Hawks, who went 27-11 after March 1, when Lloyd Pierce was fired and replaced by interim coach Nate McMillan.
They won the two games in Atlanta easily and returned to New York confident they could close it out. Capela downplayed the Knicks' attempts to play physically, saying the Hawks could do that and also win the games. 
Both coaches shrugged off the tougher talk but it seemed clear the players' emotions had risen. Words were exchanged after Taj Gibson's flagrant foul on De'Andre Hunter in the second hunter, and players had to be separated at halftime after the Knicks' Nerlens Noel and Atlanta's Solomon Hill bumped into each other as the teams were exiting the floor. 
Noel, Randle and Hill were given technical fouls. Young made a free throw on one of them before play began in the third quarter to give Atlanta a six-point lead.
Randle then made a 3-pointer to cut it to 53-50, but the Knicks would make only four more baskets the rest of the quarter. Nine straight points by the Hawks made it 62-50 when Bogdan Bogdanovic made a 3-pointer, snapping Atlanta's 3 for 20 start behind the arc.
The margin remained at 12 after three, with Randle with seven field goals but seven turnovers at that point.
The Knicks couldn't make much dent in the final quarter, with even Spike Lee giving up and leaving with a little more than 3 minutes to go, and went weakly in their first postseason since 2013.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Hunter scored 15 points and John Collins had 13. 
Knicks: RJ Barrett scored 17 points. ... Derrick Rose, moved into the starting lineup during the series, was just 3 for 11 for six points.
MARV AT MSG
Marv Albert called the game for TNT, his first time working on site since the All-Star Game and perhaps a last at Madison Square Garden for the longtime Knicks broadcaster who is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-marv-albert-entertainment-hockey-nhl-651c20c42f7315569dfb4e898094be01">retiring after the Eastern Conference finals</a>. Albert began calling Knicks games on the radio in 1967 and began doing their games on TV for MSG Network in 1986 until he and the organization parted in 2004. 
COACH K'S CREW
Both coaches in the series were assistants on the U.S. Olympic team under Mike Krzyzewski, who will coach his <a href="https://apnews.com/article/duke-krzyzewski-coaching-last-season-2cffa77a4d35d0ac881717d8fb679501">final season with Duke in 2021-22</a>.
McMillan was on Krzyzewski's staff when the Americans won gold in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Thibodeau was on the staff when the U.S. won a third straight gold in 2016.
“Obviously, legendary. Not only an all-time great, maybe the greatest, but he's an even better person,” Thibodeau said. “He’s just an amazing leader, an amazing person and to do it as well as he’s done it as long as he’s done it, it just speaks volumes as to who he is.”

The Hawks defeated the New York Knicks 103-89, taking the series 4-1 and advancing to the second round.

Young scores 36 points, Hawks finish off Knicks in Game 5

Nekias Duncan breaks down the battles that could swing each first-round series of the NBA Playoffs.

Pressure points: Battles that will decide the first round of the NBA Playoffs

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 33 points and John Collins hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 24.4 seconds remaining Wednesday night, rallying Atlanta to a 120-116 victory over the Washington Wizards to clinch the Hawks&rsquo; first playoff berth since 2017.
Atlanta came into the night tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference and looking to solidify home-court advantage in the opening round.
That&rsquo;s still up in the air, but the Hawks are definitely headed to the playoffs after going through a painful, massive rebuilding job that still appeared to be a work in progress when the team fired coach Lloyd Pierce shortly before the All-Star break while mired at 14-20.
Under interim coach Nate McMillan, who should receive strong consideration in the coach of the year balloting, the Hawks have posted a 25-11 mark to stamp themselves as a dangerous opponent heading into the postseason.
&ldquo;We clinched, baby!&rdquo; the public address announcer screamed after the horn sounded.
Russell Westbrook scored 34 points and dished out 15 assists, but it wasn&rsquo;t enough to prevent another excruciating loss for the Wizards, whose last five defeats have been by a total of 10 points.
Two nights after breaking Oscar Roberson&rsquo;s record with his 182nd career triple-double, Westbrook came up a bit short of No. 183. He was held to five rebounds.
The Wizards were up 100-87 &mdash; matching their biggest lead of the night &mdash; when Davis Bertans knocked down a 3-pointer off a dish from Westbrook with just over 10 minutes remaining.
It didn&rsquo;t hold up.
After missing a couple of 3s that could&rsquo;ve put them ahead, the Hawks finally knocked one down.
Clint Capela got it started with a block on Westbrook, sending the Hawks on a fast break the other way. Young spotted Collins all alone in the corner for the 3 that put the Hawks ahead 117-116.
Raul Neto missed a 10-foot jumer for Washington. Solomon Hill rebounded, was fouled and knocked down both free throws.
The Wizards had one more gasp, but Bertans missed a long 3 from the top of the key. Collins was fouled and sealed the victory by making one of two free throws with 3.7 seconds left.
Collins finished with 18 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 20 for the Hawks.
Washington was held scoreless over the final 2 1/2 minutes, missing its final eight shots.
Atlanta beat the Wizards for the second time in three nights. On Monday, Washington came up just short in a furious comeback from a 17-point deficit heading to the fourth quarter, losing 125-124 as Westbrook missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer.
TIP-INS
Wizards: G Bradley Beal (left hamstring strain) will be re-evaluated Friday after missing both games in Atlanta. &ldquo;Brad wants to get back out there,&rdquo; coach Scott Brooks said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s tough as nails.&rdquo; Beal did some light drills on the court before the game, which Brooks described as &ldquo;the next step progressing in the right direction.&rdquo;
Hawks: Young has scored at least 30 points in three straight contests and five of his last seven games. He has reached that mark 22 times this season. ... Won their ninth straight home game and improved to 17-2 over their last 19 appearances at State Farm Arena.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Return home for their final two games of the regular season, facing the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Hawks: Play their next-to-last game of the regular season when they host the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

The Hawks have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2017, after knocking off the Wizards 120-116.