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Offense was a challenge for the majority of Saturday night's game for the Atlanta Hawks, and in the end, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to hold on for a 79-76 victory in Philips Arena.
Lou Williams fired a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 1 second remaining on the clock, but when it ricocheted off the back rim, the dream of a comeback victory came to a close. The final possession was a bit of a microcosm of the rest of the game, as it featured a scattered set from the Hawks, as well as Mike Budenholzer scaling the sidelines in pursuit of a timeout just before the ball left Williams' hands on the final attempt. In total, the Hawks shot just 42.9% from the floor, but more than that, Atlanta committed a ghastly 21 turnovers to provide countless opportunities for Memphis that they were able to capitalize on in route to the win.
From an individual standpoint, Paul Millsap had easily the best game of the night for the Hawks. The All-Star power forward finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds for his 4th consecutive double-double, and in addition to that, Millsap added 6 assists and 5 steals in 36 minutes of court time. Aside from Paul, however, only one additional member of the Hawks reached double-digits in scoring (DeMarre Carroll with 13), and it was a sloppy game on that end for the final 40+ minutes.
In a controversial decision, Budenholzer elected to go with Lou Williams as his chief backup point guard, and while he produced 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in 26 minutes, all eyes were on Shelvin Mack's absence. It was the first time since November 27th that Mack received a "DNP-Coach's Decision", and that is certainly something to monitor moving forward for Atlanta.
There were other bright spots (including another solid game from Elton Brand with 9 points and 7 rebounds), but there was more ugliness (i.e. Mike Scott's 0-point outing) than positivity, and that is the recipe for a season-low point total against a short-handed Memphis team.