Hawks kick off Las Vegas run with 91-89 loss to Knicks

Things didn’t go particularly well for the Atlanta Hawks in the Utah Summer League, with the team scuffling on the way to a winless record over three contests. As of Saturday afternoon, though, the slate was wiped clean when the Hawks began their Las Vegas Summer League schedule against the New York Knicks and it was an improved effort from Atlanta despite the end result being a 91-89 loss.

Though the first quarter was less than ideal, John Collins was one of the few positives in the opening minutes, doing work on both ends of the floor.

Trae Young also connected on a (deep) three after a few less than optimal battles with Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina.

The best highlight of the quarter, though, came from Knicks rookie Kevin Knox on the break.

After 10 minutes, the Hawks found themselves down by double figures and that was forced by an ugly, 4 of 20 shooting start. The second quarter was far kinder, however, including a second three from Young from (very) long distance.

At one point, the Hawks trailed 27-12 but, in the blink of an eye, Atlanta flipped the script on the way to a 45-40 halftime lead. Two of the better plays during the comeback involved dishes from Young.

The third quarter wasn’t quite as favorable for Atlanta but there were a few highlights. First, Young’s passing prowess continued to be on full display.

Antonius Cleveland then brought the house down with a tip dunk that flashed his considerable athleticism.

Finally, Collins further endeared himself to Hawks by playing extremely hard.

And, for good measure, Collins threw down two hammer dunks in the fourth quarter.

All told, there were a number of interesting developments (with more analysis to come) but Trae Young finished with 21 points (on 4 of 12 shooting) and 11 assists, John Collins produced a spectacular game with 30 points and eight rebounds, and Tyler Dorsey ended the Vegas opener with 15 points (on 6 of 20 shooting) and 13 rebounds.

Stay tuned for further Summer League coverage, as the Hawks take on the Blazers on Sunday at 5:30 pm ET.