Hawks at Spurs
The glow around the Atlanta Hawks’ 8-2 start to the season has faded in recent days, given Atlanta had lost four in a row on the road and five of seven overall. But Friday’s 116-101 victory at Memphis showed the offensive fluidity and defensive prowess the Hawks look to take into Saturday’s contest at San Antonio.
It also helps to have Paul Millsap playing at a high level as the forward scored 23 points with 14 rebounds – his ninth double-double in 18 games – and the Hawks imposed their will defensively while outscoring the Grizzlies 63-43 in the second half. “After that first quarter, they scoring 36 points and shooting 70 percent, we had three quarters of pretty good defense and good basketball,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. The Spurs present a formidable challenge, beating Denver 91-80 on Friday for their 10th victory in 11 games and leading the NBA in points allowed per game (89.8). Forward Kawhi Leonard is having a fantastic season, scoring a team-high 25 points Friday to give him 20-plus points in six of his past nine contests.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (11-7): Atlanta attempted more 3-pointers (14-of-39) than 2-point shots (21-of-36) Friday for the first time in franchise history, but the real story was the Hawks shooting 50 percent after halftime while holding Memphis to 35 percent and scoring 10 points off turnovers. Guard Kent Bazemore gave the Hawks 14 points in his return after missing five games with an ankle injury. Center Tiago Splitter, who was traded from San Antonio in the offseason, was inactive Friday and is not expected to play Saturday due to a lingering sore hip.
ABOUT THE SPURS (13-3): Leonard made a big impact on both ends of the court Friday, adding seven rebounds six assists, five blocked shots and four steals, and leads San Antonio in scoring at 22 points per game. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge has started his first season with the Spurs by recording six double-doubles, and failed to reach double figures in scoring Friday for only the second time in 14 contests. San Antonio has held opponents to fewer than 100 points 12 times in 16 games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. San Antonio rested F Tim Duncan and G Manu Ginobili on Friday, but both are expected back in the lineup Saturday.
2. Atlanta G/F Kyle Korver hit three 3-pointers Friday, moving past Peja Stojakovic and into 10th place on the NBA’s all-time 3-point list (1,761).
3. The Spurs swept last season’s two-game series with Atlanta, the first for Budenholzer as Hawks coach after spending 19 seasons with the Spurs.