Peachtree Hoops - Oct 11: Grizzlies 93, Hawks 88The place to read about/discuss the Atlanta Hawks.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/8811/peachtree-fave.jpg2014-10-12T08:26:21-04:00http://www.peachtreehoops.com/rss/stream/67245462014-10-12T08:26:21-04:002014-10-12T08:26:21-04:00Plenty of positives for Hawks in loss to Grizzlies
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<figcaption>Lance Murphey - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>More thoughts from Atlanta's 93-88 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. </p> <p>Atlanta hit the road on Saturday for their second preseason game with a matchup against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Memphis Grizzlies</a>. Things didn't go as well on the scoreboard as they did in the opener with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a> falling 93-88 to the Grizzlies. However, it was a productive night for Atlanta who once again went really deep into the bench and were rewarded with some nice individual performances.</p>
<p>To further illustrate, the Hawks are just two games into their preseason schedule and <span>Mike Budenholzer</span> opted to sit <span>Paul Millsap</span>, <span>Jeff Teague</span> and <span>DeMarre Carroll</span> after halftime. Saturday's game was the Grizzlies' third game and <span>Dave Joerger</span> used several of his starters including <span>Mike Conley</span> and <span>Marc Gasol</span> to close the game. Neither way is wrong, its just an example of how teams approach the preseason differently and why wins and losses during the preseason seldom matter.</p>
<p>Here are some more thoughts from Saturday's exhibition game and what to look for during the week ahead.</p>
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<li><span>Atlanta fell behind early in this one but hung around all the way to the end. Atlanta cut the lead to just two at one juncture in the fourth quarter but couldn't get the stop needed to overtake Memphis. </span></li>
<li><span><span>Mike Muscala</span> earned the start at center and didn't disappoint finishing with nine points and five rebounds while going 4-7 from the field. If not for the performance of <span>John Jenkins</span>, everyone would be talking about Muscala and his solid start. </span></li>
<li><span>Speaking of Jenkins, he is averaging 14 points per game and is 10-13 from the field in the two exhibition wins. He is 3-5 from three point range and has pulled down nine rebounds combined in the two games. We still don't know what the backcourt rotation will look like this season especially once <span>Kent Bazemore</span> gets back on the court but it appears that Coach Bud has a lot of options at his disposal. </span></li>
<li><span>DeMarre Carroll and <span>Kyle Korver</span> made their preseason debuts and looked a little rusty combining to go 2-11 from the field. Korver missed his first four three-point attempts and finished 1-5 from the floor. </span></li>
<li><span><span>Thabo Sefolosha</span> went just 2-6 from the field for eight points but was extremely active on the floor. He finished with six rebounds and two blocks and appears to be a nice complement to Carroll off the bench. </span></li>
<li><span><span>Mike Scott</span> scored all 10 of his points in the second half. He went just 1-4 from three-point range but added six rebounds and four assists but was also saddled with four turnovers. </span></li>
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<span>I already</span><a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/11/6963521/hawks-vs-grizzlies-final-score"> talked some about Shelvin Mack and Dennis Schröder</a> but to further illustrate the two combined for 25 points and 11 assists. They went 8-13 from the field including 4-6 from three-point range. Some of what we saw from Schröder this summer in international play carried over to this game as he was able to get himself to the free throw line where he went 5-6. </li>
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<span>Dexter Pittman</span> made his preseason debut and finished with two points and two rebounds in just under nine minutes. Jarrell Eddie came off the bench during the second half but was held scoreless going 0-2 from the field. </li>
<li>The Hawks have a full slate of games scheduled for the upcoming week. They will be in Miami to take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a> on Tuesday and follow that up with another road game in Chicago on Thursday. They return to Philips Arena on Saturday to take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Detroit Pistons</a>. </li>
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<span>Al Horford</span>, <span>Pero Antic</span> and Kent Bazemore are on their way back and could make their preseason debuts at some point this week. Atlanta has five preseason games remaining and the rotation should start to tighten as the exhibition slate moves along. Atlanta will open the regular season on Wednesday, October 29 in Toronto. </li>
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https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/12/6964453/hawks-vs-grizzlies-final-scoreKris Willis2014-10-11T22:39:26-04:002014-10-11T22:39:26-04:00Hawks come up short in Memphis
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<figcaption>Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Mike Conley finished with 23 points while Marc Gasol added a double-double to help the Memphis Grizzlies to a 93-88 win over the Atlanta Hawks. </p> <p>The <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Hawks</a> suffer their first loss of the preseason with a 93-88 setback to the <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Memphis Grizzlies</a>. Head Coach Mike Budenholzer once again went deep into his bench and got a look at several different combinations. He once again limited his starters' minutes holding out <span>Jeff Teague</span>, <span>Paul Millsap</span> and <span>DeMarre Carroll</span> during the second half.</p>
<p>Here are some thoughts from tonight's game:</p>
<h5>
<span>John Jenkins</span> is healthy and may be better than ever</h5>
<p>Jenkins finished with a team-high 15 points on 5-6 shooting including 2-3 from three-point range. He told us at media day that he was in the best shape of his life and so far he has looked the part. Not only is he scoring well with his jumper but he is also getting to the basket and running the floor. Jenkins is also competing at the defensive end of the floor and is making an already crowded backcourt situation for the Hawks even more crowded.</p>
<h5>The backup point guard position is still unsettled</h5>
<p><span>Shelvin Mack</span> got the first shift behind Jeff Teague and didn't disappoint going 4-7 from the field for 11 points and a game-high eight assists. He once again showed his versatility and saw some time at shooting guard. Dennis Schröder bounced back from a so-so performance in the exhibition opener with a solid showing against the Grizzlies. Schröder finished with 14 points and three assists on 4-6 shooting but was much more in control and finished with just one turnover in 20 minutes. For now it looks like Mack has the edge but the situation is still fluid.</p>
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<span>Adreian Payne</span> is still adjusting to the speed of the game</h5>
<p>Payne looks like he is still adjusting to the speed of the NBA game and he struggled early on Saturday night. He bounced back somewhat in the second half and led the team with eight rebounds and four blocked shots. The good news is that despite his struggles he still totaled over 18 minutes which is exactly what preseason is for. Most of Payne's minutes this preseason have come at the center position. We will see if that changes once <span>Al Horford</span> is back in the rotation.</p>
<h5>
<span>Marc Gasol</span> is a beast</h5>
<p>We knew that already but he showed it early often Saturday night against the Hawks. Gasol finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots in 29 minutes for the Grizzlies. He helped them set the tone early and was on the floor late to help cement the win.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/11/6963521/hawks-vs-grizzlies-final-scoreKris Willis2014-10-11T18:54:25-04:002014-10-11T18:54:25-04:00Mike Muscala could start against Grizzlies<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="/rss/stream/6724546">Mike Muscala could start against&nbsp;Grizzlies</a></h3>
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https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/11/6963157/mike-muscala-could-start-against-grizzliesKris Willis2014-10-11T06:00:03-04:002014-10-11T06:00:03-04:00Hawks head to Memphis for matchup with Grizzlies
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<figcaption>Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Atlanta Hawks continue their preseason schedule with a trip to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies. </p> <p>The <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Hawks</a> continue their preseason schedule on Saturday with a trip to Memphis to face the <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Grizzlies</a>. Saturday's game is the first of three straight road games for the Hawks who defeated the <a href="https://www.thebirdwrites.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Orleans Pelicans</a> 93-87 in their exhibition opener.</p>
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<span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span> More from our team sites <span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span>
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<div class="blog-links-compact-link-container"><a href="http://www.grizzlybearblues.com?utm_source=sbnation&utm_medium=bloglinks&utm_campaign=blogs">Memphis Grizzlies blog Grizzly Bear Blues</a></div>
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<p>Trying to track anything of note in the NBA's preseason, particularly in the early going, is often a failed exercise. For the Hawks, the most important element is getting their roster healthy and back in the lineup. Atlanta <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/10/6958431/al-horford-kent-bazemore-pero-antic-out-hawks-grizzlies">will be without Al Horford, Kent Bazemore and Pero Antic</a> on Saturday but will get <span>Kyle Korver</span> and <span>DeMarre Carroll</span> back in the lineup. Korver was away from the team due to the birth of his second child. Carroll tweaked an ankle in practice and <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/6/6926507/demarre-carroll-injury-atlanta-hawks-ankle">was held out of the opener for precautionary reasons</a>.</p>
<p>By all accounts, the Hawks looked pretty good in their <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/6/6915443/pelicans-vs-hawks-nba-schedule-score">preseason opening win over the Pelicans</a>. Atlanta grabbed an early lead and was able to hold on late while going deep into the bench. Head Coach <a href="http://atlantahawks.blog.ajc.com/2014/10/10/budenholzer-sees-hawks-playing-instinctively/">Mike Budenholzer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday</a> that he felt like his players were playing instinctively and are further along with the game plan than at the same time last season.</p>
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<p>"The most tangible thing that people can see on the court is how they play," Budenholzer said. "They are playing instinctively. The ball is moving. They are doing things. We want to create a way to play and then they make plans within that."</p>
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<p>There is a good reason for that as Atlanta returned 12 players from last season's roster. The game plan for the most part is in place and now its just about getting healthy and getting the few new players acclimated to the rest of the roster.</p>
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<p>Memphis comes into Saturday's game having lost the rare preseason back-to-back. The Grizzlies<a href="http://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2014/10/8/6950159/memphis-grizzlies-milwaukee-bucks-preseason-marc-gasol"> fell to Milwaukee 86-83 on Wednesday</a> and followed that up <a href="http://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2014/10/9/6955081/memphis-grizzlies-houston-rockets-preseason">with a 113-93 loss to the Rockets</a> on Thursday. Memphis is a veteran team and with a core of <span>Marc Gasol</span>, <span>Zach Randolph</span> and <span>Mike Conley</span> back again its most important for them to get to the regular season healthy with the rotation intact.</p>
<p>The Grizzlies do have a pair of rookies worth keeping an eye on in <span>Jordan Adams</span> and Jarnell Stokes. Adams hasn't shot the ball well in the first two games but got to the free throw line eight times and finished with 11 points in the loss to the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockets</a>. Stokes is a hard working inside player out of Tennessee and added 12 points and five rebounds. Both could be rotation players off the bench for the Grizzlies at some point this season. The bench <a href="http://www.memphisflyer.com/blogs/BeyondTheArc/">didn't play well in either of the first two preseason games</a> but will get a boost once new addition <span>Vince Carter</span> gets into the lineup.</p>
<h3>Game Info</h3>
<p><b>Game Date/Time:</b> Saturday, October 11, 8 p.m. ET</p>
<p><b>Location:</b> FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee</p>
<p><b>TV:</b> None</p>
<p><b>Radio:</b> 929 ESPN Memphis, NBA League Pass Audio</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/11/6960417/hawks-vs-grizzlies-preview-time-tv-radio-infoKris Willis2014-10-10T13:53:19-04:002014-10-10T13:53:19-04:00Horford, Bazemore, Antic out against Grizzlies
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<figcaption>Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Al Horford, Kent Bazemore and Pero Antic will sit out Saturday's exhibition game against the Memphis Grizzlies</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Hawks</a> will be without center's <span>Al Horford</span> and <span>Pero Antic</span> along with guard <span>Kent Bazemore</span> when they take on the <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Memphis Grizzlies</a> on Saturday <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball/horford-bazemore-antic-out-vs-grizzlies/nhgNK/">according to the AJC's Chris Vivlamore</a>.</p>
<p>Horford and Bazemore both returned to full contact practice earlier this week and are on pace to return soon. Horford continues to recover from last season's season-ending pectoral injury and is on pace to be ready by the season opener. Bazemore is recovering from a foot injury that he sustained during the offseason. Antic suffered a broken nose from as the result of an inadvertent elbow from rookie <span>Adreian Payne</span> during the first week of camp. He won't travel to Memphis and has been fitted for a protective mask. He could return to the lineup sometime next week.</p>
<p>The Hawks will get <span>Kyle Korver</span> and <span>DeMarre Carroll</span> back into the lineup after both set out the exhibition opener. Korver was away from the team for the birth of his second child while Carroll sat out after tweaking his ankle in practice. Both are expected to be in the starting lineup on Saturday.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/10/6958431/al-horford-kent-bazemore-pero-antic-out-hawks-grizzliesKris Willis