Atlanta, GA
Brooklyn Nets steamroll Atlanta Hawks 124-97 behind lights-out shooting
“We just can’t let our shot-making affect our overall game and our defense, and I feel like that’s what’s been happening. We’ve been missing shots that we usually make, and sometimes it can affect our overall game,” said Dorian Finney-Smith at Thursday’s shootaround prior to the first of two pivotal homes games against the Atlanta Hawks.
And really, “pivotal” may be underselling it. The Nets entered Thursday’s game trailing the Hawks by four games for the East’s 10-seed, AKA the final Play-In Tournament. Snagging a spot in the Play-In represents Brooklyn’s last hope to save a downtrodden season; if their season doesn’t come down to this two-game set vs. Atlanta, it damn sure comes close.
Finney-Smith was preaching the right message, but to win such an important game, the Nets would need to make some shots. In their last two losses — in Minnesota and Orlando — Brooklyn couldn’t crack 90 points. No amount of grit and defensive effort can make up for that in 2024; after all, the Nets have had the league’s fifth-best half-court defense…
Finney-Smith’s gospel, however, would not be tested on Thursday night. Brooklyn didn’t just make shots, they ripped the cords to shreds right from the opening tip.
Cam Johnson’s special night began early, hitting his first three triples before the game’s first timeout, galloping around the court with a fervor that’s been mostly absent since the 2023 playoffs which in case you forgot he averaged 18.5 points on 51/43/86 splits. A dozen first-quarter points ended up as 29 on 10-of-15 shooting, including seven 3-pointers.
When asked about his hot start, Johnson was eager to re-direct the focus to the team: “It felt good, just the way we played felt right, you know what I mean? Everybody’s intention and focus, attention to detail, attention to the scout, it felt like it was in the right place.
He didn’t just stand around the arc and wait for the ball to find him, though he (and his teammates) did that too. Rather, he played the game Nets fans have been expecting since signing a four-year deal last offseason: cutting, throwing a lob in the pick-and-roll, and getting to the rim in transition…
“Like I tell you guys all the time, all you’re looking for is a little rhythm,” said Johnson. “Rhythm and feel of the game. You know, it slows it down for you, anytime you’re in your comfortable spaces, your comfortable roles, it slows the game down for you, and you’re able to process quicker, more efficiently and sometimes good results follow that.”
The Nets led 34-16 after a first quarter that the Hawks did not take too seriously. The visitors threw the ball away on 2-on-1 fast-breaks and frequently lost shooters like Johnson and Mikal Bridges, not to mention their own lack of shot-making.
And yet, the Hawks had cut it to 56-50 by halftime. Dejounte Murray, ex-future-Net, had scored 20, hitting tough shots in the half-court and getting to the rim in transition. His supporting cast left something to be desired, but with the Nets cooling off and an even rebounding/turnover battle, Murray had made it a ballgame.
For a minute.
Brooklyn poured it on in the second half, led by Johnson and Dennis Schröder, who’d finish with 23/8/7 on 5-of-7 from three. His big night was defined by timely shot-making, particularly in an 11-point third quarter. Every time Atlanta cut Brooklyn’s lead from the teens to single-digits, Schröder was there with a response…
Said Johnson of his point guard: “Obviously the stats show that he played great, but there was a lot of other things that he did that don’t show up on the stat sheet, just being in the right spots, guarding, and understanding coverages that kind of come with time, but he did a great job today.”
And while Bridges finished with just 15 points after a ten-point first quarter, he played one of his better offensive games in some time. Like opponents before them, the Hawks often threw two defenders at Bridges on ball-screens. On Thursday, however, Bridges and his teammates diced those aggressive coverages up.
The ex-Sun only posted five assists, but didn’t turn the ball over once and tallied quite a few hockey assists…
Bridges and his teammates have been excellent tonight when ATL throws two at the ball. Creating open threes left and right: pic.twitter.com/ifrtW6Am52
— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 1, 2024
“We just told Mikal when he gets two in his space, his job is done,” said Kevin Ollie. “Find an open man, and then we’ll play behind that … that’s a great job of the team, they retain it, and then they transfer it to the game. So that was great to see and that means we’re growing.”
While the Nets never quite solved their season-long problem of creating offense at the rim, their scorching, 22-of-46 performance from deep was no fluke. Just about every attempt was a rhythmic catch-and-shoot, and their 30:9 assist:turnover ratio more than matched the eye test.
Brooklyn pulled away in the third quarter, and poured it on in the early fourth. Even Day’Ron Sharpe got in on the action, hitting back-to-back triples of his own on his way to 12/8/4….
“I knew he was geeked, I know he was,” teased Bridges. “I was geeked for him, though. But he can shoot, so that’s him showing and displaying it out there. You know, sometimes when he gets the opportunity, he might be a little tired and that’s when it might not hit the rim.”
It was that type of night for the Nets, who did not offer proof of Finney-Smith’s wisdom. Perhaps the shot-making came first, perhaps the defense did.
Atlanta finished just 8-of-28 from three, which ensured Brooklyn’s wire-to-wire victory. They played Murray straight up, either switching or going over ball-screens, but never sending two to him, daring his fellow Hawks to beat them. The strategy worked; no other Hawk scored more than 14 (Jalen Johnson, on 14 true-shooting attempts).
We cannot throw out Brooklyn’s dismal season prior to this point. The win moved them to a still-ugly 23-36, still three games behind the Hawks with another matchup on the way.
But Thursday’s matchup with the Hawks marked the true beginning of Brooklyn’s stretch-run, and they started it off with a picture-perfect win.
“I just feel like we have to put that urgency from here on out on the rest of the season,” said Johnson. “It’s unfortunate, but we dug ourselves a hole, and it’s not what we think our group is capable of. So we have to find a way out of that and maybe do a little bit extra. Tonight is just the start, it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t follow it up.”
Final Score: Brooklyn Nets 124, Atlanta Hawks 97
Milestone Watch
We have team and individual milestones befitting a dominant, feel-good Brooklyn win.
- With Brooklyn’s 22 threes compared to Atlanta’s eight makes, this is just the sixth time in franchise history that the Nets made 14+ more 3-pointers than their opponent.
- Dennis Schröder tied his season-high with eight rebounds, and scored 23 points for the first time this calendar year.
- Cam Johnson’s seven made 3-pointers match the most he’s made as a Net, and the second-most in his career. His 29 points are also a season-high.
Ollie praises DSJ
Head Coach Kevin Ollie went out of his way to praise backup point guard Dennis Smith Jr. after the win. His comments follow Smith Jr.’s visible frustration after Brooklyn’s last win — a road contest against the Memphis Grizzlies in which DSJ saw only a handful of minutes…
This exchange is…interesting, given that Dennis Smith Jr. has seen his minutes cut under Kevin Ollie, and only played six or seven non-garbage-time minutes tonight: pic.twitter.com/E8HpPE7JlN
— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) February 27, 2024
“I really want to give some kudos, some praise to Dennis Smith Jr.,” said Ollie on Thursday night. “It’s been kind of tough for him the last couple of games, he came in and spelled Dennis [Schröder] because Dennis [Schröder], you know, been playing a lot of minutes, and he just did a great job down the stretch leading our team, talking, and being a great point guard, getting back to what we know Dennis Smith Jr. can do. And that’s defense, and that’s getting out on the break, running our team.”
Frank Isola was quick to contextualize Ollie’s comments on YES Network’s postgame show.
Next Up
Let’s do it all over again and see if the Brooklyn Nets are really serious about saving their season. The next home tip-off against the Atlanta Hawks is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.
Atlanta, GA
Basketball Pickups: Naji Marshall and Jaden Hardy shine in Atlanta
The Mavericks went into Monday’s game in Atlanta down three perimeter players. With Luka Doncic already sidelined, Klay Thompson and Quentin Grimes joined him on the sideline. Naji Marshall (17%) and Jaden Hardy (1%) were the replacements, and both played well in Dallas’ win over the Hawks. Marshall played 28 minutes, finishing with 22 points, six rebounds, one assist, and two 3-pointers, his third consecutive game of 20 or more. Hardy put up a season-high 23 points with three rebounds, two assists, three steals (career-high), and two 3-pointers.
Marshall’s fantasy value has increased since Doncic went down, and he’ll miss at least one more game (Wednesday vs. New York). As for Hardy, his value depends on the availability of Thompson and Grimes. Also, we can’t forget about Spencer Dinwiddie (2%), who produced a line of 22 points, three rebounds, four assists, and four 3-pointers. His fantasy status moving forward is similar to Hardy’s; he’ll need multiple people to sit to be worth the risk.
Let’s look at a few more of Monday’s top pickups:
Moussa Diabate (20%), Charlotte Hornets
Diabate didn’t start Monday’s loss to the Magic (Taj Gibson did), but he effectively played starters’ minutes off the bench. Diabate didn’t provide much scoring, but the rebounds (eight) and defensive stats (two steals and four blocks) were the important takeaways. He’ll be worth rostering as long as the Hornets remain without Mark Williams and Nick Richards, and neither has a concrete timeline for return.
Anthony Black (14%), Orlando Magic
Already playing without Jalen Suggs, the Magic lost his replacement in the starting lineup five minutes into Monday’s matchup with the Hornets. Gary Harris suffered a strained hamstring, and his exit led to Black starting the second half. While the final stat line wasn’t particularly impressive (10 points, three rebounds, one assist, three steals, and two 3-pointers in 22 minutes), the opportunities for Black to produce will be there if Suggs and Harris remain sidelined. Those injuries also impacted Cole Anthony (1%), who re-entered the rotation and played 27 minutes. He finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two 3-pointers. However, fantasy managers may want to ensure Anthony sticks in the rotation before moving to add him.
Yves Missi (13%) and Elfrid Payton (2%), New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans received good news on the injury front Monday, as CJ McCollum returned from a strained adductor. However, with the team still down multiple contributors, there was room for Missi (who came off the bench) and Payton to provide value. Despite backing up Daniel Theis, Missi played 31 minutes off the bench and finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots. As for Payton, all he did was establish a new career-high with 21 assists while also putting up 14 points, seven rebounds, and two steals in 31 minutes. While Missi should have value for the remainder of the season, even after everyone returns, Payton’s fantasy relevance likely ends once Dejounte Murray returns from a broken hand.
Keon Ellis (8%), Sacramento Kings
Malik Monk’s return from a sprained ankle was the most notable change to the Kings rotation, but it wasn’t the only one. Ellis made his second start of the season on Monday, replacing Kevin Huerter. The matchup certainly influenced the decision, with Sacramento needing to defend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But this is something to watch, especially with Huerter only playing ten minutes in Monday’s loss. Ellis played 28, finishing with eight points, one rebound, three assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers. The line itself isn’t enough to make Ellis a player worth adding. But that changes if he remains in the starting lineup, which is a realistic possibility due to the Kings’ issues defending on the perimeter.
Jalen Wilson (2%) and Ziaire Williams (2%), Brooklyn Nets
Despite being down multiple rotation players and losing Cameron Johnson and Cam Thomas during Monday’s game, the Nets erased an 18-point deficit to beat Golden State. Wilson and Williams, inserted into the starting lineup with Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton sidelined, made vital contributions. Wilson scored a career-high 18 points with seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and three 3-pointers. As for Williams, he recorded a double-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers. Their values for Wednesday’s game against the Suns will depend on the Nets’ injury report.
Neemias Queta (2%), Boston Celtics
While Kristaps Porzingis was available to make his season debut on Monday, the Celtics were without Al Horford and Luke Kornet. As a result, Queta remained in the rotation and was stellar in 25 minutes off the bench. He finished Monday’s blowout of the Clippers with 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and four blocked shots. Queta was a case in which the few managers who rostered him benefitted, and he’ll be a schedule play moving forward. Boston’s Sunday/Monday back-to-back against the Cavaliers and Heat will be the next opportunity to consider streaming Queta.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks vs Dallas Mavericks: Starting Lineups
The Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks are about to tipoff their game in Atlanta and both teams just announced their starting lineups for tonight’s game.
Hawks:
G- Trae Young
G – Dyson Daniels
F – Zaccharie Risacher
F – Jalen Johnson
C – Clint Capela
Mavericks
G-Kyrie Irving
G- Jaden Hardy
F- Naji Marshall
F- P.J. Washington
C- Dereck Lively
Currently, the Hawks rank 28th in PPG allowed, 18th in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed, and 30th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 20th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 30th in effective field goal percentage allowed.
Atlanta’s offense has struggled to produce in the last two games and they are going to face one of the NBA’s best defenses so far this year. The Hawks were unable to score 100 points in the loss to Golden State and they had a terrible 1st half against Chicago on Friday. This team has shooting and spacing concerns and that is something that they will have to figure out on offense.
The Hawks desperately need Trae Young to start playing at an All-NBA level. That won’t solve all of the offensive issues this team is having, but it would help. Young had 25 points and 13 assists vs the Bulls, but most of the production came in the second half when the game was out of reach.
After a great stretch of games on offense and defense, Dyson Daniels has struggled to score the ball, but the defense is still great. He shot 3-14 from the field on Friday vs Chicago and has not found consistency with his three point shot. The Hawks are counting on him to provide that and he will be tasked with guarding Kyrie Irving tonight.
Zaccharie Risacher has been in the starting lineup for the Hawks for most of the season, but he is struggling to shoot the ball and he only played 16 minutes on Friday vs Chicago. Would Quin Snyder consider moving De’Andre Hunter back into the lineup? He played close to 30 minutes on Friday and is performing well this season, especially on offense. This is something to monitor going forward.
Jalen Johnson is coming off of a 25-point, 13 rebound performance vs the Bulls and he will be counted on tonight vs Dallas. Defensively, Atlanta needs more from Johnson, but he has shaken off a slow start and is playing well.
The center position has been mostly underwhelming for Atlanta this season, but Clint Caplea is coming off of his best game of the season offensively. He scored 21 points and pulled in 11 rebounds in the loss on Friday and he is going to be a key player tonight vs the center duo of Dereck Lively and Daniels Gafford. Onyeka Okongwu is struggling on both ends of the floor and the Hawks do have Larry Nance, but Nance does not play often and did not on Friday vs Chicago.
Snyder mostly used a nine-man rotation against the Bulls, with Kobe Bufkin, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Okongwu, and Hunter coming off the bench. Perhaps the only good thing that came out of Friday’s loss was that Bogdanovic finally looked like himself again. He scored 16 points and shot 4-8 from three in the game and after two bad games to start the year, he finally played well. Bufkin is one of the players who has really struggled this year, but he should be given time to try and figure things out. Will this be the rotation for Atlanta tonight or will guys like VIt Krejci and Garrison Matthews get more minutes?
While the record might not indicate it, the underlying numbers show that Dalls is one of the NBA’s elite teams. The Mavericks are 9th in PPG, 8th in FG%, 22nd in three-point attempts, 22nd in 3P%, 18th in free-throw attempts, 9th in rebounding and 8th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Dallas is 4th in points per 100 possessions, 10th in effective field goal percentage, 6th in turnover percentage, 14th in offensive rebounding, and 20th in free throw rate. Defensively, this is shaping up to be the best defense Dallas has had in years. They currently rank 9th in PPG allowed, 5th in FG% allowed, 9th in three-point attempts allowed, and 10th in three-point percentage. Per Cleaning the Glass, Dallas is 7th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 4th in effective field goal percentage allowed.
Atlanta, GA
New Dog Grooming Spa Planned for Atlanta | What Now Atlanta
Pet owners in Atlanta could soon have a new place for their pups to be groomed.
A new dog spa called Chic Shearing Dog Grooming is planned for 2030 Bolton Road NW, according to a building permit application for the buildout of the new dog spa.
The estimated cost of construction on the approximately 1,000-square-foot space is $65,000, according to the application. The scope of work includes new LED lights, partitions, outlets, dog wash tubs, and a tankless water heater.
The site is located in Riverside, a neighborhood on the Upper Westside of Atlanta. The dog spa would be located near the Public House 28 restaurant.
Ownership for Chic Shearing Dog Grooming could not immediately be reached for more information about the business or when it could be open.
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