Tag: Atlanta Hawks

Garrett Temple shows why he’s a pro’s pro every night

Garrett Temple continues to proves why he was a major acquisition for the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason.

Garrett Temple was brought in to do all the little things off the bench, play staunch defense and provide Brooklyn with another option along the perimeter on the offensive end.

He was also someone who caught Kyrie Irving’s attention because he is an established veteran presence in the NBA. Even though the Nets lost some of their veteran leadership in the offseason, they gained Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan — as well as Temple, who has become one of the more prominent voices on the team.

After he had another strong shooting night on Wednesday, Temple’s teammates were quick to praise him. They mentioned his scoring and the things he brings on the floor, but Joe Harris, for instance, was quick to talk to reporters about Temple’s character:

Yeah, GT, I mean, [Iman Shumpert] actually says it, from the moment he got here, he’s a pro’s pro. That’s sort of his reputation around the league. He’s the ultimate professional. Comes in, he just takes care of his business. He’s a great leader in the locker room. And then, obviously, he has nights like tonight, too, where he’s able to come up big, score the ball for us. But he always does the little stuff, regardless of how he’s shooting it, playing offensively. You know the intangible things are gonna be there, and the stuff on the defensive end is always gonna be [there].

Taurean Prince was asked about the difference he’s seen in the Hawks — who he played well against — from when he was in Atlanta last year. He talked about Vince Carter’s impact and illustrated how Temple is doing something similar for Brooklyn:

I think the ability to stay together off the court is what the veterans bring. And guys like Garrett Temple, Iman and DeAndre do a great job of keeping everybody together, along with, obviously, Kyrie and KD.

But no one had higher praise for Temple than Jarrett Allen:

[Temple] fits in so well, on and off the court, honestly. On the court, you saw what he did tonight. He came out, he dominated [from] the 3-point line. He scored from every facet from the game. And off the court, he’s the leader. He’s telling us what to do off the court. he’s just telling us how to live our lives, too.

Allen also added:

You gotta give it to the front office and Kenny [Atkinson], they bring in guys that they think are gonna mesh well, and Garrett Temple’s the perfect example of that. He came in, he didn’t try to push hard, he didn’t try to be overbearing, he kinda snuck his way into being our vet.

RELATED: Nets Report Card: First quarter of 2019-20 season

Nets feel Taurean Prince can elevate his game to another level

Taurean Prince had a big night against his old team. Now Kenny Atkinson wants to see the forward have another strong game against Charlotte.

Taurean Prince had next to no issues finding the bottom of the basket in Atlanta on Wednesday. His homecoming went as well as he could’ve hoped, finishing with 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting (5-for-7 from three) in the 130-118 win over the Hawks.

Of course, Prince isn’t shooting 60% from the floor and 71.4% beyond the arc every night. But the problem with the forward has been just how far his efficiency numbers can dip down.

Prince is shooting 40.5% from beyond the arc this year — a bump from his 2018-19 average (39%), which is his career-high as of now. But his peaks and valleys are a bit too far apart.

The Nets see the same thing and expect him to tighten things up, as Kenny Atkinson told reporters in Atlanta on Wednesday.

What we’re asking from Taurean is more consistency. I think he’s got another level. He’s gotta do [what he did on Wednesday] again in Charlotte in a couple nights.

What’s wild is the Nets are still having a fair amount of success with Prince being inconsistent, while both Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert out, too.

RELATED: Nets Report Card: First quarter of 2019-20 season

RELATED: Report: Kyrie Irving could be out two more weeks

Nets take advantage of scuffling Hawks in Atlanta

The Brooklyn Nets did exactly what they needed to on Wednesday to walk away with a double-digit win in Atlanta.

After a tough test against the Miami Heat on Sunday, the Brooklyn Nets had what should’ve been a relatively easy matchup in Atlanta against the Hawks. Although the Nets fell behind in the first quarter, they took it to the Hawks in the second quarter, which wound up being the difference in Brooklyn’s 130-118 win. The Nets are now one game over .500.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points on 10-for-22 shooting (4-for-6 from three). Wednesday marked his ninth 20-plus-point night in Brooklyn’s last 10 games. Dinwiddie also set a new personal record for most points scored in any 10-game stretch in his career with 245. His previous record was 244 in 2017-2018.

Dinwiddie also had six rebounds and five steals, but he did have seven turnovers, as well.

Taurean Prince got sweet revenge against his old team. He dropped 23 on the Hawks and had two steals, four assists and six rebounds.

Prince was lights out from three, finishing 5-for-7 from deep (9-for-15 from the floor).

But neither Prince nor Dinwiddie led the Nets in scoring. It was Garrett Temple who stepped up and finished with 27 points on 10 of 16 shooting (6-for-9 from three).

Another night and another double-double for Jarrett Allen. He scored 20 points and grabbed 13 boards.

Allen also had three blocks.

Joe Harris rounded out the scoring for Brooklyn’s starting lineup, finishing with 13.

The starting five were the only ones to finish in double figures. Theo Pinson led the bench scoring with seven points. DeAndre Jordan was an animal on the glass, per usual. He had nine rebounds.

Kevon Looney’s return spoiled by Trae Young, Hawks top Warriors 104-79

Fatigue looked to be a factor as the understaffed Warriors get blown out against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.

Regardless of injuries or inexperience, the 2019 Golden State Warriors have battled almost every opponent that’s lined up against them. However, sometimes, the gap in talent and lack of depth outweighs the gritty effort of the Dubs. Tonight the Warriors limited rotation looked tired in Atlanta, never matching the energy of the Hawks in a 104-79 discouraging loss.

Yes, you read that correctly, Golden State only scored 79 points to the second-worst rated defense (114.7) in the NBA. 79 points scored was the lowest of the Warriors 2019 season.

Four Hawks scored in double digits, led by the sophomore star, Trae Young, who paced Atlanta with 24-points and seven assists. Rookie, Eric Paschall, was the only Warrior to surpass the 20-point mark with 24. Golden State turned in another miserable shooting night from beyond the arc, registering under 30 percent for the second straight night.

The Return of Big Loon

The Warriors got a familiar face back with the return of big man, Kevon Looney, against Atlanta. The UCLA product returned from a neuropathic injury, playing 15 minutes, tallying two points, two rebounds and two blocks. Golden State is being patient with Looney’s return, limiting his minutes until his conditioning returns to form.

Turnover City

Ball security was the biggest issue for the Warriors in Atlanta as they turned the ball over 23 times, resulting in 11-points for the Hawks. The bench unit combined for 15 of the team’s total turnovers, each member of the Warriors turned the ball over at least once. The Warriors had six more turnovers than assists (17) versus Atlanta.

The Warriors sorely missed Draymond Green tonight (rest), who served as the team’s primary ball-handler with D’Angelo Russell injured. The Warriors offense lacked any rhythm throughout the game in which every possession seemed like there was a sloppy turnover.

Hitting the Lottery

In the big picture, a loss to Atlanta could be looked at as a good thing when the 2020 NBA draft rolls around in June. Heading into this game, the Warriors and Hawks had the same amount of wins (4), with a loss Golden State’s record falls to 4-18— the worst in the NBA.

With each game in 2019, the Warriors season becomes more about the future, and if that’s the case, tonight could be looked at as a win in when it comes to the 2020 lottery order.

James Harden honors NBA legend Vince Carter in postgame interview

After scoring 60 points in just three quarters, Rockets star James Harden paused his postgame interview to honor NBA legend Vince Carter.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden scored a historic 60 points in just three quarters during Saturday’s huge win over Atlanta. But a big part of his postgame interview was about one of his legendary NBA opponents.

Now 42 years old and in his 22nd and final season, Saturday (box score) was most likely the final game in Houston for Hawks swingman and future Basketball Hall of Famer Vince Carter, barring a trade or buyout.

After starting his postgame interview with local network AT&T SportsNet Southwest, Harden paused for about 30 seconds to recognize Carter on his way off the court. The entire exchange played out on live television.

Courtside reporter Cayleigh Griffin, who was interviewing Harden, made it clear that she had no objections at all to the brief delay.

Harden’s 60 points on 24 field-goal attempts during Saturday’s blowout victory were the fewest of any player in NBA history to score 60. The former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) also tied Michael Jordan for career 60+ point games at four, which is the third-most in NBA history. No other active player has more than one 60+ point game.

Harden now leads the NBA at 38.9 points per game, which is nearly eight points per game above the No. 2 scorer (Giannis Antetokounmpo) at 31.2 points. That 38.9 total would be the highest in over 55 NBA seasons.

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Rockets star James Harden makes history with 60-point efficiency

Rockets star James Harden made all history with 60 points on just 24 shots in three quarters during Houston’s big win Saturday over Atlanta.

Rockets superstar James Harden scored 60 points in just three quarters in Houston’s 158-111 romp over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

Harden put up his numbers on remarkable efficiency, shooting 16-of-24 (66.7%) overall and 8-of-14 (57.1%) on three-pointers. The NBA’s scoring leader also had eight assists, and he led the Rockets with an astounding plus/minus figure of +50 in his 31 minutes (box score).

The 60 points were just one shy of Harden’s career-high total of 61, but he did not play at all in the fourth quarter — since Houston led by an overwhelming 54-point margin heading into it. Harden didn’t seem to realize how close he was to his personal mark, until his stat line was put on the giant screen at Toyota Center in Houston.

Even so, Harden made all sorts of history with Saturday’s performance. For starters, his 60 points on 24 field-goal attempts were the fewest of any player in NBA history to score 60.

Harden also tied Michael Jordan for career 60+ point games at four, which is the third-most in NBA history. No other active NBA player has more than one 60+ point game.

Harden scored 29 of his 60 points in the third quarter. In the first half, the Hawks routinely doubled the former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), but Harden and the Rockets proved they could counter that strategy as well. After doing so, there were fewer immediate double-teams.

The 47-point victory was the second in a row for the Rockets (13-6), who return to action Tuesday night in San Antonio. The overall 158-point total was one point short of Houston’s high for the 2019-20 season of 159 points, which came in an Oct. 30 win at Washington.

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Rockets launch ‘Space City Saturdays’ with new City uniforms

Each Saturday game for the remainder of the season — home and away — will feature the new “City Edition” uniforms for the Rockets.

The Houston Rockets launched their “Space City Saturdays” campaign for the 2019-20 season with Saturday’s home game versus Atlanta.

Each Saturday game for the remainder of the season — home and away — will feature the team’s new “City Edition” uniforms. With “H-Town” across the chest, the NASA-inspired white uniform evokes Houston’s historical and present relationship with the U.S. space agency.

The first 3,000 fans at Toyota Center for the Hawks game received complementary rally towels designed to look like the new jerseys, complete with the numbers of Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

According to the team’s website, highlights of the new uniforms include:

  • NASA font for typeface and numbers throughout the jersey
  • Traditional Astronaut ID Tag on the upper right chest
  • American flag on the belt line to celebrate U.S. national pride
  • Side panels of jersey are inspired by the Gemini Program, which helped NASA prepare for the Apollo moon landings
  • Vertical brand identifiers on the shorts to resemble a rocket launch

NASA, which is short for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has extensive history in Houston tracing back to the establishment of the Johnson Space Center (then named the Manned Spacecraft Center) in 1961. It was a key support facility in NASA’s quest (ultimately successful) to put a man on the moon that decade.

Vanessa Wyche, deputy director at Johnson Space Center, took the game’s ceremonial “First Shot” shortly before tipoff.

Unlike recent years, these latest City uniforms do not feature Chinese lettering — though that decision was made long before the franchise’s recent controversy involving China.

Similar to the plan to wear the City uniforms each Saturday, the Rockets also have a special “Flashback Friday” theme for nearly all Friday games in the 2019-20 season. In that program, the current Rockets are wearing retro-themed Classic uniforms as part of a 25-year anniversary celebration of the 1994-95 NBA championship squad.

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In total, Houston has five sets of uniforms this season. The Rockets brought back their black “Statement” jerseys from last season, while the red “Icon” and white “Association” jerseys were changed to incorporate a new font, modernized side panels, and the inclusion of black as a core color. Those sets and the Classic uniform were released in June.

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Lakers’ Danny Green gets drug-tested by NBA after monster dunk vs. Hawks

Los Angeles Lakers sharpshooter, Danny Green, gets drug-tested by NBA after monster dunk vs. Atlanta Hawks.

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Los Angeles Lakers sharpshooter Danny Green doesn’t dunk too often. So when he does finish high above the rim, people take notice. On Sunday, Green offered a Dominque Wilkins impression during the Lakers 122-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks that brought the Staples Center crowd to their feet. Then, on Monday–after his first dunk of the season–the NBA issued Green a random drug test.

During the play that got the internet buzzing, the ball bounced around the perimeter for the Lakers before LeBron James collected it and attempted a 3-pointer near the top of the key. The shot missed long, and Green came crashing in from the right wing for a putback dunk that got his teammates fired up.

Maybe it was an entirely random occurrence–or maybe it was in response to the display of unusual athleticism–but after Green’s dunk made its way around the internet, the NBA issued him a random drug test. Green took to Twitter to joke about the coincidence after being notified of the test.

“Catch one dunk and get drug tested” Green tweeted. “Surprise, surprise.”

One Laker who was most likely not surprised about Green’s random drug test was Alex Caruso. In September, after photoshopped images of a jacked-up Caruso went viral on social media, the Lakers guard was similarly drug-tested by the NBA. So either both drug tests were entirely random, or all eyes are locked on the Lakers right now–even those in the league office.

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LeBron’s passing is up and Davis is getting more passes than LeBron’s past running mates

L.A. Lakers star LeBron James is leading the NBA in assists and Anthony Davis is receiving more passes than any of his previous teammates.

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It might seem obvious considering that he’s leading the NBA in assists for the first time in his historic 17-year career, but LeBron James is passing the ball more than he has before in his career. And to add to that, nobody in LeBron’s history of past teammates received more passes on a nightly basis than Anthony Davis currently does next to The King.

Bryan Kalbrosky dug into the numbers for HoopsHype earlier on Monday and discovered that Davis is receiving 25.2 passes per 36 minutes from LeBron James. That’s the highest average of any LeBron teammate since that data has become available on NBA.com.

Obviously, it’s still early in the season, so this could change slightly but Davis looks well on his way to surpassing Kyrie Irving’s high mark of 22.3 passes per 36 minutes in 2015-16.

If things continue going the way they are, even Kyle Kuzma could pass Irving’s high mark as well. Davis has been a well of assists for LeBron and that doesn’t figure to change anytime soon, but there are also a couple of other aspects at play when looking at this passing increase.

First of all, LeBron is playing point guard more than he ever has because of injuries and the Lakers general lack of point guard depth. Second, the pace of play (possessions per game) has been steadily increasing over the last five years which of course leads to a higher volume of shots and passes.

Still, the stat that Kalbrosky dug into indicates a big reason why LeBron is leading the NBA assists. Even though Davis hasn’t been his normally efficient self, he won’t be short on opportunities as long as he and LeBron stay on the court.

Anthony Davis on usage: ‘Not worried about shots, I’m worried about winning’

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is shooting less than LeBron James is so far this season, but he doesn’t care.

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For as much talk as there was both in the preseason and in the early stages of the regular season about LeBron James moving aside to let Anthony Davis be the No. 1 option for the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s still looking more like an equal scoring partnership while LeBron himself still controls the offense as the team’s primary point guard.

LeBron has a slightly higher usage rate of 30.4% compared to 30.1% for Davis and their field goal attempt averages mirror that with 19.2 shots per game for LeBron and 18.1 for Davis. Davis took only 14 shots in Sunday’s win over Atlanta, causing head coach Frank Vogel to say he needed more shots, but Davis is not worried at all about juicing his individual stats when the Lakers are blowing out their opponents.

Here’s what he told reporters after the game, according to Spectrum Sportsnet.

“We winning. I don’t really care about any of that. We’re going to find ways to get a shot. When it’s in the flow in the first half and we’re running, getting fast breaks points and guys getting open shots, finding guys when I do get the ball I just try to play the right way. We were up big in the first half, I’m not worried about shots, I’m worried about winning.”

Davis has been instrumental in the Lakers having the league’s top-ranked defense through the first 13 games. He remains well ahead in the NBA’s block category and while his shooting and scoring numbers are slightly down, it’s clear the trade of having individual accolades while losing in New Orleans in exchange for more wins in Los Angeles and slightly worse offensive numbers is one Davis would make again. And if you’re at all worried about Davis’ free agency, moments like this are the most reassuring thing you’re going to get from a star of his caliber.