Edy Tavares, Lamar Patterson shine in Austin Spurs' win

Atlanta Hawks rookies Edy Tavares and Lamar Patterson were back in the D-League Thursday night and turned in solid performances in a 105-100 win by the Austin Spurs over the Bakersfield Jam.

After trailing 58-56 at the half, Austin outscored Bakersfield 23-15 in the third quarter to reclaim the lead. They were able to maintain that advantage through the fourth thanks in big part to the play of Tavares and Patterson.

Tavares finished with a team-high 23 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks in just 25 minutes of action off the bench for the Spurs. Patterson was equally impressive finishing with 20 points, five rebounds and a team-leading nine assists. Bakersfield's Xavier Munford led all scorers with 34 points.

Tavares and Patterson and likely to stick with Austin as they continue their west coast trip on Saturday against the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The Spurs will enjoy a series of off days before returning to action on January 21 which will provide a window for Tavares and Patterson to be recalled to the Hawks.