Peachtree Hoops - April 19 Game 1: Hawks 99, Nets 92The place to read about/discuss the Atlanta Hawks.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/8811/peachtree-fave.jpg2015-04-21T14:00:03-04:00http://www.peachtreehoops.com/rss/stream/82160282015-04-21T14:00:03-04:002015-04-21T14:00:03-04:00Hollins reluctant to alter game plan for Korver
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<p>Kyle Korver is a major part of the Atlanta Hawks' success but Nets coach Lionel Hollins sounds reluctant to change his game plan to slow him down. </p> <p>Both the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a> are eyeing a number of adjustments for Game 2 of their first round playoff series. What is unclear is whether <span>Lionel Hollins</span> will adjust his game plan in an effort to slow down Atlanta's <span>Kyle Korver</span>.</p>
<p>Korver scored a game high 21 points in Sunday's Game 1 and knocked down 5-for-11 three point attempts. He averaged 10.8 points in four regular season games against Brooklyn but shot a sizzling 62 percent from three-point range knocking down 13-of-21 attempts.</p>
<p>Despite that success, Nets head coach Lionel Hollins didn't sound very concerned about Korver when he met with the media on Monday. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/nets-coach-lionel-hollins-not-losing-sleep-kyle-korver-article-1.2192265">From Tim Bontempts in the New York Daily News</a>:</p>
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<p>"How many shots did he take yesterday and how many did he miss? See, if he's that good, he'd make all of them." Hollins said. "Everybody misses, man. He's a good shooter, I acknowledge that, we acknowledge that as a team, we game plan for him because he is a great shooter. But until he starts shooting 100%, we've got to play and be in position to help, and then recover, and close out.</p>
<p>"It's not like we're talking (Stephen) Curry. Korver, he's a great come-off-the-screen guy, he's great with moving without the ball, but he rarely puts the ball on the floor like Curry and shakes you up."</p>
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<p>For what it is worth, Hollins has seemed a bit "prickly" with the Brooklyn media throughout Game 1. They may very well make some adjustments but it sounds like he is taking a more fundamental approach <a href="http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/nets/nets-focus-on-stopping-three-point-success-of-hawks-kyle-korver-1.10306054">as this quote from a Rod Boone article at Newsday suggests</a>.</p>
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<p>"You can't stop a guy from coming off a screen when there's no back-side help," coach Lionel Hollins said. "You've got to chase him off the screen, and we got up on him top side to try to keep him from coming off the screen and he'd go backdoor."</p>
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<p>One advantage to Atlanta's system is that they don't rely on any one player. They look at how the defense is playing them and then adjust accordingly to that. Korver didn't have any trouble finding his shots in Game 1 and it would be a great situation for the Hawks for that to continue given the questions surrounding <span>Paul Millsap</span> and <span>Al Horford</span>.</p>
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https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/21/8461497/2015-nba-playoffs-nets-hawks-lionel-hollins-kyle-korverKris Willis2015-04-21T12:25:33-04:002015-04-21T12:25:33-04:00Horford to play in Game 2 despite finger injury
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<figcaption>Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Al Horford will play in Game 2 amid concerns about his injured finger. </p> <p>Breathe deeply, <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Hawks</a> fans.</p>
<p><span>Al Horford</span>, who suffered a dislocated pinky finger during the course of a Game 1 victory over the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Brooklyn Nets</a>, indicated on Tuesday afternoon that he will play in Wednesday's Game 2.</p>
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<p>No worries for Hawks fans. Al Horford said his finger is fine and he is playing in Game 2 vs Nets.</p>
— Sekou Smith (@SekouSmithNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SekouSmithNBA/status/590549941992480769">April 21, 2015</a>
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<p>It is no surprise that Horford will play through the discomfort in a playoff setting, but the All-Star center was open about the fact that the injury <a target="_blank" href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/20/8456071/al-horford-injury-dislocated-finger">bothered him at times</a> in the fourth quarter of Game 1, and that incited a bit of panic in some circles. It will be interesting to see if <span>Mike Budenholzer</span>, fresh off <a target="_blank" href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/21/8461395/mike-budenholzer-named-nba-coach-of-the-year">a Coach of the Year nod</a>, will limit Horford's exposure from a playing time perspective, but at any interval, it will be good to see Al Horford in the lineup for Game 2.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/21/8462675/al-horford-game-2-injury-atlanta-hawksBrad Rowland2015-04-21T09:58:37-04:002015-04-21T09:58:37-04:00Hawks, Nets eye adjustments for Game 2
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<p>The playoffs are about adjustments and the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets are eyeing several heading into Wednesday's Game 2. </p> <p>Both the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a> are eyeing some adjustments when their first round playoff series continues on Wednesday with Game 2. For Atlanta it could involved some forced adjustments due to <span>Al Horford's</span> finger injury. For Brooklyn, its all about figuring out how to get more shots for <span>Brook Lopez</span>.</p>
<p>The Hawks could be forced into making adjustments that they don't want to have to make depending on the status of center Al Horford who suffered a dislocated pinky finger during the fourth quarter of Game 1. Horford appeared to open the door that he could potentially miss Game 2 with the injury on Monday but it would be a bit surprising if he didn't suit up and give it a go. Still how much will the injury disrupt him? <a href="http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2015/04/20/nets-want-no-part-of-horford-hawks-injury-speculation/">Horford told NBA.com's Sekou Smith on Monday</a> that it was still painful but it was just a matter of getting used to it at this point.</p>
<p>"It's just sore. "They told me it would more sore today and I've just been doing more treatment on it since Sunday night. I went out and shot some today and it felt good, so I was encouraged by that. Last night it didn't feel good at all. You just have to get used to it. There is discomfort with it, though."</p>
<p><span>Paul Millsap</span> continues to deal with a shoulder injury and is <a href="http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2015/04/20/nets-want-no-part-of-horford-hawks-injury-speculation/">thinking about playing without a protective pad in Game 2 on Wednesday</a>.</p>
<p>"We played around with the pad and cut it in areas and tried to do different things to protect it," Millsap said. "But you know, I might try and go without it the next game and see it how it goes. I guess I just upgraded it to might. I'm trying to balance it out, pain to mobility and I don't know. We'll see what happens Wednesday."</p>
<p>Millsap was effective in other areas of Game 1 as he defended well and finished with seven rebounds to go along with two steals. Still, the Hawks need him to get going again offensively especially with Horford hurting.</p>
<p>If either are limited, <span>Mike Budenholzer</span> could turn to <span>Pero Antic</span> or <span>Mike Scott</span> for more minutes. Antic was effective in Game 1 finishing with eight points and three rebounds in 19 minutes. Scott, who has been dealing with a back contusion, finished with five points in just over 10 minutes of action in Game 1. The Hawks also have veteran <span>Elton Brand</span> and <span>Mike Muscala</span> available. Muscala performed well during the final days of the regular season while playing in place of Millsap.</p>
<p>Following Game 1, Budenholzer talked about the Hawks needing to rebound better and in particular the need to keep Brooklyn center Brook Lopez off of the offensive glass. Atlanta was out rebounded 47-39 in Game 1 and 12-6 on the offensive boards. Six of Lopez's 14 rebounds came via the offensive glass.</p>
<p>That is a concern but it is one that Atlanta has dealt with throughout the season. Lopez's offensive rebounding has garnered a lot of attention in this series but the Nets only finished Game 1 with a 16-15 edge in second chance points. The Hawks scored 15 second chance points despite only grabbing six offensive rebounds in the game.</p>
<p>Brooklyn finished Game 1 shooting 46 percent from the field but Atlanta's defense was pretty good in what it wanted to accomplish. Lopez attempted just seven field goal attempts and Nets coach <span>Lionel Hollins</span> has been under fire for not getting him the ball more. As a somewhat defiant <a href="http://thebrooklyngame.com/4-things-brooklyn-nets-improve-game-2-atlanta-hawks/6/">Hollins explained following Game 1</a>, its not always that easy. The Hawks did a good job of taking away the pocket pass on the pick and roll that Brooklyn got a lot of mileage out of coming down the stretch of the regular season.</p>
<p>"If we had to depend on Brook (Lopez) to get 20 shots, we were going to lose by 25. Maybe I should just go out there and say Brook just shoot anywhere, everywhere, any time, and we'll win, right?" Hollins countered, with a hint of derision in his voice. "Come on, man. It's deeper than that. We're going to try to get Brook more shots, but that's the game of cat-and-mouse."</p>
<p>In addition to Hollins, criticism also fell on the shoulders of <span>Deron Williams</span> and <span>Joe Johnson</span> for Lopez's lack of involvement. The duo combined to score 30 points but were just 11-for-28 from the field. Williams t<a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/post/_/id/22504/nets-encouraged-but-still-winless-vs-hawks">alked about how Atlanta's defense took away their first actions with ESPNNewYork's Mike Mazzeo</a> and how the Nets must counter if they want to get Lopez more involved in Game 2.</p>
<p>"I feel like we can play a lot better but their defense is so good against our first actions. We're not gonna score with our first pick-and-roll. We have to as a team swing the ball, swing the ball again, and maybe drive it. We just can't try to come up, screen-and-roll, one pass, shot. That's just playing into their hands and giving them what they want."</p>
<p>"We just gotta find some actions that work for Brook," Williams said. "Because we definitely need to get him the ball -- that little pocket pass that we were getting the last half of the season is not there against these guys. They're doing a good job of taking that away, but like I said, swing, swing and then maybe post him up on the other side. Those are things we can do to get Brook involved, and we need to get him more involved."</p>
<p>Williams talks a lot about swinging the basketball from side to side which is a staple of Atlanta's system. However, longtime followers of the Hawks know too well that swinging the ball with Joe Johnson on the floor often isn't the easiest thing to accomplish. The ball tends to stick in Joe's hands and he is more comfortable probing and prodding his way into position via the dribble than via the pass.</p>
<p>Johnson scored 17 points in Game 1 but was just 6-for-17 from the field and 0-for-6 from three-point range. Atlanta did a good job of forcing Brooklyn to take jump shots. Williams knocked down 5-of-11 attempts and made a pair of three pointers but Johnson, <span>Bojan Bogdanovic</span> and <span>Earl Clark</span> didn't and those misses played right into Atlanta's hands.</p>
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https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/21/8461221/2015-nba-playoffs-atlanta-hawks-brooklyn-nets-brook-lopez-adjustmentsKris Willis2015-04-21T08:00:02-04:002015-04-21T08:00:02-04:00Can Atlanta overcome this latest rash of injuries?
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<p>The Atlanta Hawks won a franchise record 60 games and captured the East's No. 1 seed but a couple of late season injuries are starting to spoil the fun. </p> <p>For most of the season the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> were a healthy bunch and surprising the rest of the NBA on their way to capturing the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They successfully dealt with some bumps and bruises along the way. <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span> missed a couple of months due to a calf injury but by that time, the Hawks had a big lead in the standings and his absence provided an opportunity for guys like <span>Kent Bazemore</span> to get more minutes.</p>
<p>Now with the postseason here and Sefolosha out again, a couple of more injuries are threatening to throw Atlanta's playoff run off course. The Hawks spent most of the final two months of the season protecting a big lead in the standings and trying to protect their players from injury. They passed the first test but the second turned out to be a little more difficult than even they might have imagined.</p>
<p><span>Paul Millsap</span> suffered a shoulder injury while scrambling for a loose ball in a meaningless April game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a>. It was the only negative in what turned out to be a 131-99 win for the Hawks. He'd miss five straight games with the injury before returning regular season finale and Game 1 of the playoffs. He returned wearing a heavy protective pad and has been active defensively and on the boards but he has struggled offensively going a combined 4-20 from the field.</p>
<p>Millsap was asked about the shoulder following Game 1 and <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/20/8456063/paul-millsap-atlanta-hawks-game-1-shoulder">refused to offer up any excuses</a>. He did mention that he probably won't be 100 percent for the remainder of the season. Millsap told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday that he was <a href="https://twitter.com/CVivlamoreAJC/status/590190253111029760">considering playing without the protective pad</a> in Game 2 in an effort to improve his range of motion. Whether it is the pad or lingering soreness, it is clear that Millsap isn't comfortable and that is an issue for the Hawks.</p>
<p><span>Mike Budenholzer</span> was asked about Millsap following Game 1 and replied that unless Paul was hiding something, he was fine. Just a matter of finding his rhythm and getting comfortable again.</p>
<p>"There is no concern about Paul and his shoulder," said Budenholzer. "He impacts the game so many different ways. I know he probably doesn't have very many games like that but it happens to everybody. I think his activity, his hands, steals, decision making, rebounding. Unless he is hiding something I think Paul is fine."</p>
<p>The Hawks would be in better position to let Millsap work through his issues if not for the finger injury that <span>Al Horford</span> suffered early in the fourth quarter of Game 1. Horford suffered a dislocated pinkie finger on his shooting hand while battling for a rebound with Mason Plumlee. He eventually returned to the game with the finger heavily taped but admitted afterwards that <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/20/8456071/al-horford-injury-dislocated-finger-">the injury bothered him down the stretch</a>.</p>
<p>Following the game, Horford told reporters rather bluntly that he would play in Game 2. "I'm going to play obviously," said Horford, but he seemed to back off of that somewhat on Monday and at least left the door open to the possibility that <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/20/8457711/horfords-status-for-game-2-in-question">the injury might prevent him from playing in Game 2</a>.</p>
<p>If the injury were to Horford's non-shooting hand then it wouldn't be quite as big of a deal. He <a href="https://twitter.com/CVivlamoreAJC/status/590216695509311489">told the AJC on Monday</a> that the finger was painful and that having it taped disrupts how he grabs the ball. At this point I'd be shocked if Horford actually missed Game 2 but there is no doubt in my mind that the injury will effect him negatively and could limit one of his biggest strengths which is his shooting.</p>
<p>Mike Budenholzer went with <span>Pero Antic</span> and <span>Mike Scott</span> as the primary backups for Horford and Millsap in Game 1. He toyed with a small lineup a bit and there were sequences where he had Horford playing alongside Antic in a bigger lineup. Scott himself is just returning from an injury and played just over 10 minutes in Game 1.</p>
<p>Neither Elton Brand nor <span>Mike Muscala</span> played but could be called into action should Budenholzer need them. Brand is a veteran and a good rebounder who could be called upon if Brook Lopez continues to cause problems on the glass for Atlanta. Muscala played a lot down the stretch of the regular season when Millsap was out and played well averaging 9.3 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 68 percent from the field over the final six games. Muscala doesn't have any meaningful playoff experience but has shown that he will play hard and isn't afraid to mix it up on the boards.</p>
<p>Good luck getting this team to admit that they are worried about the injuries to Horford or Millsap publicly. They long ago adopted the "next man up" philosophy and it served them well throughout the regular season. That was something that <span>Kyle Korver</span> talked about following Game 1.</p>
<p>"This is what we've done all year," Kover said. "We're not just one person on this team. We're not playing hero ball. We go out there and play as a unit. There are a lot of nights where guys don't shoot the ball well or don't play as well as they'd like to.</p>
<p>So the Hawks will deal with the injuries the only way they know how. They will go out and play as a unit and the bench will once again be called on to perform if the starters struggle. That has been their mantra all season. If they get through this first round series without a blip it can be a big confidence booster to the team. However, anyway you look at it, Atlanta's current injury situation with the frontcourt will be the backdrop for Game 2 and perhaps longer.</p>
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https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/21/8460889/2015-nba-playoffs-atlanta-hawks-injuries-al-horford-paul-millsapKris Willis2015-04-20T12:19:42-04:002015-04-20T12:19:42-04:00Questions remain on Horford's status for Game 2<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/kevinarnovitz/status/590187443795595265">Questions remain on Horford's status for Game&nbsp;2</a></h3>
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https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/20/8457711/horfords-status-for-game-2-in-questionKris Willis2015-04-20T08:15:01-04:002015-04-20T08:15:01-04:00'No excuses' from Millsap in aftermath of Game 1
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<p>Paul Millsap didn't perform at a high level in Game 1, but the All-Star forward declined to lean on his shoulder ailment as the reason for his shortcomings. </p> <p><span>Paul Millsap</span> isn't 100%.</p>
<p>Even with <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Hawks</a> head coach <span>Mike Budenholzer</span> matter of factly stating that there is "no concern with Paul's shoulder", there is reason to believe that the All-Star power forward is laboring a bit as a result of the ailment. Millsap missed five games before returning for the season finale in Chicago, but with less than a full workload in that outing and a shaky showing in Game 1 that featured 2 of 11 shooting and some ugly misses, the former Louisiana Tech and <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Utah Jazz</a> standout was understandably prompted about his injury in the postgame.</p>
<p>Millsap stated that he "always has high expectations" for his play, but had this to say when asked directly about his comfort level with the shoulder:</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">"Rhythm, timing, shoulder. Whatever, no excuses," said Millsap. "I had a wide-open layup I missed. Can’t blame that on the shoulder.... I’ll do better, I’ll be better."</span></p>
<p class="p1">Shooting nights like this occur in the NBA, but given the pairing of perhaps Atlanta's most consistent offensive player and an injury that could easily impact his performance, it is tough to avoid jumping to conclusions. Still, Millsap was straight to the point in deflecting attention away from the injury, simply stating that he still needed to get rhythm and a "feel for the ball".</p>
<p class="p1">Beyond his uneven performance in the series opener, Millsap did unveil a bit of a concern when asked about what "percentage" he would place on his shoulder at this point in the playoff run:</p>
<p class="p1">"No percentage. I'm not sure if it will be 100 percent. Only time will tell. Right now, I can't worry about it. The game's going to come too fast. I can't stop and think about my shoulder. I've got to get out there and play."</p>
<p class="p1">In the midst of that answer, the 6-foot-8 forward is intentional about blaming the shoulder, but the notion that Millsap isn't sure about feeling 100 percent in the playoffs is something that some will latch on to if he continues to play at a reduced level. In the interest of fairness, most players are not "100 percent" at this point in the year, and Millsap's answer could reflect that, but until he produces a big game or two, there will be skeptics.</p>
<p class="p1">Make no mistake, the Atlanta Hawks cannot achieve their ultimate goals without All-Star level production from Paul Millsap. He may not be the "best" player on the team, an honor I would personally bestow on <span>Al Horford</span>, but Millsap's unique offensive arsenal and varied defensive abilities will be needed down the line, and using Brooklyn as a tune-up effort isn't the worst thing in the world.</p>
<p class="p1">"No excuses" sounds like an answer that Paul Millsap would give after having a poor game, regardless of any injury concern. Game 2 and beyond will reveal whether his poor playoff debut can be attributed to the shoulder.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/20/8456063/paul-millsap-atlanta-hawks-game-1-shoulderBrad Rowland2015-04-20T08:06:21-04:002015-04-20T08:06:21-04:00X-rays negative on Horford's injured finger
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<p>Al Horford admitted that the finger injury he suffered during the fourth quarter of Game 1 against the Brooklyn Nets was painful and bothered him for the remainder of the game. </p> <p><span>Al Horford</span> left Sunday's Game 1 early in the fourth quarter due to a dislocated pinky finger. He suffered the injury while battling for a rebound with Brooklyn's Brook Lopez. Horford was quickly met by head trainer Wally Blase and then quickly ushered to the back.</p>
<p>Horford eventually returned to the game but with the pinky on his shooting hand heavily taped. He went scoreless for the remainder of the game and admitted afterwards that the injury bothered him.</p>
<p>"It definitely affected me," said Horford of the injury. "Having it taped like that around my finger, especially on my shooting hand, was very uncomfortable to shoot the ball."</p>
<p>Horford finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds on 5-12 shooting in 34 minutes. He spent most of his night wrestling with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a>' Brook Lopez. He missed both of his shot attempts in the fourth quarter after returning to the game.</p>
<p>A dislocated finger can be a painful injury and the effects are likely to linger for sometime. Horford however left no doubt about his status for Game 2.</p>
<p>"I'm going to play obviously."</p>
<p>Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday and that will allow a couple of days for Horford to heal and to get comfortable shooting with the finger taped.</p>
<p>"I don't know. I've had something similar to this, not as bad as this. But we'll see. The good thing is that the x-rays came back negative."</p>
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https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/20/8456071/al-horford-injury-dislocated-finger-Kris Willis2015-04-20T07:06:53-04:002015-04-20T07:06:53-04:00Korver, Hawks hold off Nets for Game 1 victory
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<figcaption>Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Kyle Korver knocked down five three-pointers on his way to a game-high 21 points while leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 99-92 victory in Game 1. </p> <p>The Game 1 win by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a> might not have been the dominant wire-to-wire performance that many were looking for. However, in the playoffs, winning is the most important thing and the Hawks held onto homecourt with a 99-92 win.</p>
<p>"It's good to play a playoff game," said head coach <span>Mike Budenholzer</span> following the game. "A lot of credit to Brooklyn for coming back and closing it on us, and putting us in some tough spots. We struggled to score in the third quarter, and at times during the fourth. Defensively, our hands and our activity were good, creating some turnovers. We're going to have to have that same activity. We're going to have to be better limiting their offensive boards from the start of the game to the end of the game."</p>
<p>Brooklyn led in Game 1 for exactly 19 seconds as <span>Joe Johnson</span> scored on their first possession. After falling into a deep hole early, the Nets were able to find their game and for two significant stretches in the second half, outplayed Atlanta.</p>
<p>To the Hawks' credit they didn't blink. A 16-point lead was cut to just three during the early parts of the third quarter. A driving layup by <span>Paul Millsap</span> and a three-pointer by <span>DeMarre Carroll</span> helped unleash a 15-2 run that pushed the lead back into double digits.</p>
<p>The Nets pushed yet again in the fourth cutting Atlanta's lead down to just four with 1:33 remaining. This time it was <span>Jeff Teague</span> who had the answer as he scored six of his 17 points in the last 1:19 of the game.</p>
<p>"A lot of different guys stepped up and made plays," said Budenholzer. "Jeff Teague, coming back in and hitting a basket when it was cut to four, and then hitting free throws down the stretch. It was a great finish by Jeff there. DeMarre's defense is always something that, when you're playing a great player like Joe Johnson, it's great to have DeMarre out there making it as difficult as possible on him."</p>
<p>Atlanta did get a lot of contributions from many players on its roster but that has become the norm for this group. Paul Millsap continues to work his way back into form after missing five of the last six games of the regular season with a shoulder injury. Millsap finished with six points and seven rebounds but was just 2-11 from the field.</p>
<p>The Hawks covered Millsap with five players scoring in double figures led by <span>Kyle Korver</span> who finished with 21 points including five made three-pointers.</p>
<p>"This is what we've done all year," Kyle Kover said following the game. "We're not just one person on this team. We're not playing hero ball. We go out there and play as a unit. There are a lot of nights where guys don't shoot the ball well or don't play as well as they'd like to. The reality is that Paul is probably finding his rhythm a little bit, and he will. We just keep on working our system and give you the lines we always give - move the ball, play with the pass, play with space, and keep on finding someone else."</p>
<p>Defensively, the team seemed to be pleased with their effort in Game 1. Brooklyn shot 65 percent in the second quarter but Atlanta got some much needed stops in the second half and in particularly coming down the stretch.</p>
<p><span>Brook Lopez</span> was a handful for the entire game finishing with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Lopez accounted for six of the Nets' 12 offensive rebounds in the game. On the other hand, Lopez finished with just seven shot attempts as the Hawks were effectively able to take him out of the half court offense. They just have to do a better job of keeping him off the offensive glass for the rest of the series.</p>
<p>"The defense was great," said Carroll. "We've been in that position a lot this year. I think we suceeded tonight. Everybody collectively had a big part to do with it. Paul might have had an off-night offensively, but his defense and him being active and getting steals and getting blocks really helped us. We're a unit, five guys out there on the court. If one guy is not doing what he's supposed to do, it affects the whole unit. I think everybody, one-through-five, stepped up tonight."</p>
<p>Carroll drew the tough assignment of guarding Joe Johnson who finished with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists but was just 6-17 from the field and an uncharacteristic 0-6 from three-point range.</p>
<p>"We stuck with the game plan," said Carroll when asked about limiting Johnson. "Joe, he's a great player. He's tough in the post. But at the same time, we stuck to the game plan and made things difficult for him, and made other guys-get involved and we picked up the win."</p>
<p>And ultimately picking up the win is all that matters. The Hawks aren't going to get style points after Game 1 from some national pundits who already looked at their 60 regular season wins with skepticism. This group honestly could care less about that sort of thing.</p>
<p>The playoffs are a game of adjustments and this series is just getting started. Lopez was a big factor but to Atlanta's credit was limited to just seven shots. The Hawks will take that and Brooklyn no doubt will be searching for more ways to get him involved. A lot was made of the second chance points and it is true that they enabled Brooklyn to stay close but the final margin was a 16-15 edge in favor of the Nets.</p>
<p>Game 2 will bring more adjustments as the chess match between these two teams is just getting started. </p>
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https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/4/20/8456029/2015-nba-playoffs-nets-vs-hawks-recap-kyle-korverKris Willis