Atlanta, GA

Hardy broke out of slump against Hawks

Published

1 year ago

November 26, 2024

ATLANTA – Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy had a party over in Atlanta on Monday night. Not that kind of party.

It was the kind of party that had Hardy probably wanting to pop some champagne after he scored a season-high 23 points during the Mavs’ 129-119 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The breakout game from Hardy came after he struggled and scored just 19 points and was only 7-of-24 from the field in the three games prior to the contest against the Hawks.

Guard Spencer Dinwiddie said the three games before the Mavs played Atlanta shouldn’t be taken as true indicators of Hardy’s value to the Mavs.

“I don’t think two subpar games are going to shake his confidence, nor should it,” Dinwiddie said. “Especially given the fact that obviously everything is in flux right now. Roles are still kind of being defined for the bench where we’re waiting to really play at full strength for a consistent amount of time.

“There’s nothing that Jaden should take poorly, especially in his young career. He’s still learning and growing (and he’s) super talented.”

Hardy Hardy was thrust into the starting lineup against the Hawks, because point guard Luka Dončić was sidelined due to a sprained right wrist. He responded by converting 8-of-18 shots – he was 2-of-7 from downtown – and also picked up three steals.

“It felt good to get going a little bit (Monday), and also just to get the win,” Hardy said. “We needed this win.

“Nobody’s going to have a perfect game when you go out there. Everybody is going to make mistakes, but it’s really just moving on to the next play and having the next play mentality. As long as you bring the energy and effort, I felt like you’ll be good.”

Hardy felt the good vibes coming from guard Kyrie Irving as the two teammates embraced.

“He came in and started and did exactly what was necessary for us to get over the hump,” Irving said. “He stayed aggressive, and it was just a beautiful brand of basketball when you know you got five guys out there that are looking to attack the rim and make plays for one another. Spencer

“I’m really proud of him. I want him to keep it up. (Monday) he just showed his value as he’s been doing since preseason and just throwing him out there and playing against the best of the best.”

Hardy poured in 10 of the 33 points the Mavs scored in the second quarter against the Hawks. That comes from his reputation of being able to get buckets in a short period of time.

“To be honest it reminds me — in terms of the scoring ability — of Kam Thomas, somebody I played with in Brooklyn,” Dinwiddie said. “(He has) the ability to get hot quick and be dynamic in that sense, so the sky’s the limit for him.

“(He has to) just stay focused (and) keep working. He’s got every tool in terms of scoring, for sure. He’s a confident kid. I know he believes in his scoring ability, so I know it’s always nice to see the ball go in.”

Here are the three takeaways from the Mavs’ 10-point win over the Hawks.

IRVING OWNED THE FOURTH QUARTER: One of the things Mavs guard Kyrie Irving has a history of, it’s his ownership of the fourth quarter. The 14-year veteran did it again Monday when he tallied 16 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter. With the game on the line, Irving tallied 16 points in the fourth quarter when he was 6-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc. During one stretch in the final quarter, Irving drilled three straight three-pointers.

THE ROARING 20’S: The Mavs accomplished something Monday they hadn’t accomplished in nearly 10 months. And that is the game against the Hawks marked the first time the Mavs had four players score at lest 20 points in the same game. That hadn’t happened since Jan. 29 of last season when the Mavs accomplished that feat during a 131-129 win over the Orlando Magic. On Monday for the Mavs, Kyrie Irving poured in 32 points, Jaden Hardy tallied 23 points, and Naji Marshall and Spencer Dinwiddie scored 22 points apiece.

PAINT POINTS MATTER: The Mavs had a field day roasting the Hawks inside the paint. It was as if it was open season for the Mavs as they outscored Atlanta on points in the paint by a wide 76-50 margin. The Mavs were 38-of-67 on shots in the paint for a superb 56.7 percent. At various times it appeared as though the Mavs had this grand idea of simply just wanting to make a living in the paint as they kept scoring basket after basket after basket inside the painted area.

X: @DwainPrice

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Atlanta, GA

Blazers Outclassed in Every Aspect By Atlanta

Published

6 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Blazers Outclassed in Every Aspect By Atlanta

The Portland Trail Blazers put up an absolute stinker on Sunday, getting destroyed by the .500 Atlanta Hawks, 135-101. It was a soul-destroying loss. Jrue Holiday and Donovan Clingan have at least some reason to hold their heads high, with Holiday putting up 23 points on 56.3% shooting and Clingan getting a 15 point/15 rebound double-double. Otherwise you have to squint pretty hard to take away anything positive for the Blazers.

Here are a few observations from the game:

First Quarter Disaster Class

Not a whole lot went right for the Blazers in the first quarter other than Jrue Holiday’s 14 points in the frame. No other Blazer could manage more than three points. At the other end of the court, the Hawks were getting to the free throw line with ease, taking 15 freebies against only two for the Blazers. Atlanta found it easy to get wide-open shots too. Simple penetrate-and-kick was the order of the day, and it was shockingly successful. Five turnovers for Portland didn’t help either. With everything going wrong, the refs added to the misery, ignoring some laughably physical play for a steal at one end, while whistling Vit Krejci for a block on a clear charge on the other. Poor whistles led to frustration, with Clingan losing the plot a bit and picking up his third foul in the quarter out of frustration. Finishing down 19 at the end of the first quarter is no way to win a basketball game, yet somehow it could have been worse. With a bit over a minute to go, the Blazers had been down 24. Credit for not giving up I guess, but… yeesh.

Okongwu was terrific. At one point in the 2nd quarter, he had 20 points on 77.8% shooting from the field and 75% shooting from deep. Not bad for a 6’10” center. He was always open in the corner. Every time down the court. If Atlanta had wanted to make feeding him a priority, Okongwu might have finished with 60. Instead, they ignored the obvious and gave every Hawk who took the court plenty of touches and shots. It’s hard to argue with a 34-point win, but it really should have been a 40-point lead at halftime if the Hawks had pressed their advantage.

Henderson’s Three-Point Shot

It’s still early days for Henderson’s 25-26 season, but he’s shown good things coming back from injury. His strength and first step are encouraging. His three-point shooting, however, has been a real problem. For a team that was already at or around the worst three-point percentage in the NBA before Henderson took the court, the last thing they needed was him to come in and shoot 24% for the season. In this game he attempted 4 of them, making one. Two of his misses were so ugly that Atlanta fans were embarrassed for him. Without a functional shot from range, he’s just not showing enough to win the starting job.

Three Quarters of Garbage Time

One way to look at this game is to give the Blazers credit for keeping it pretty even for most of the game after the soul-crushing first quarter. You could also give Portland credit for finding their way to the arena today. This game was decided early and nothing the Blazers did the rest of the way gave anybody a sense that they could mount a comeback. That’s pretty discouraging.

Nice Shooting Percentage From Krejci, But…

75% shooting from the field and 66% from three for Krejci? Yes, please! Three total shots from deep and five overall in a game when they needed points? No, no, no. Krejci seemed like a brilliant pickup for the Blazers, what with him shooting over 40% from three the last three season in Atlanta. He just hasn’t had the kind of impact we all imagined so far. It’s still early in his Blazer career, but the 31.7% that Krejci is shooting from beyond the arc for the Blazers isn’t what anyone had in mind. Today he made his first three shots, with two of them from deep. Would this be the game that could get him on track? Unfortunately he’d only take one more three-pointer the rest of the game. It’s incredible that they wouldn’t at least try to lean into him a bit more when he looked like he might be poised to break out of his Blazers’ shooting slump.

The Blazers will get two days off before taking on the apparently lottery-bound Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. A Portland win would probably suit both clubs just fine.

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Atlanta, GA

Drama mars finish of half-marathon national championships in Atlanta

Published

18 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Drama mars finish of half-marathon national championships in Atlanta

The 2026 Publix Atlanta Marathon, which served as the USA Track & Field Half Marathon Championships, met chaos Sunday in the women’s half marathon event.

Three runners — Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat — were led off course by an official race vehicle with less than 2 miles to go. The nearly-half-mile error, according to data from Hurley’s Strava account, cost the runners their top-three finishes.

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Atlanta, GA

Police increase presence across metro Atlanta amid teen takeover rumors

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Police increase presence across metro Atlanta amid teen takeover rumors

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Popular gathering spots across metro Atlanta saw heightened law enforcement presence Saturday night following rumors of potential “teen takeovers.”

Authorities say a similar event last weekend led to more than a dozen teenagers and adults being taken into custody. In response, agencies across the metro area are stepping up patrols in several high-traffic areas, including the Beltline and the Cumberland Mall and Battery districts.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 9 juveniles, 8 adults charged after weekend ‘takeover’ event at The Battery

Along the Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta police confirmed they increased staffing levels as a precaution. An APD officer on scene told Atlanta News First that officers are maintaining an enhanced presence due to the takeover rumors. An Atlanta News First crew observed multiple people put in handcuffs and an APD officer at the Beltline said four guns had been confiscated.

Multiple patrol units were visible along the Beltline, with officers monitoring foot traffic and briefly detaining several individuals. Police said the show of force is intended to deter large, disruptive gatherings before they begin.

Cumberland Mall to have teen curfew Saturday after ‘takeover’ at The Battery

In Cobb County, law enforcement agencies are coordinating efforts around Cumberland Mall and The Battery Atlanta. The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office deployed its mounted patrol unit, with four deputies on horseback circling the mall. Units from the Cobb County Police Department, Marietta Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol were also seen monitoring traffic and pedestrian activity in the area.

Electronic message boards and posted signage between Cumberland and The Battery warned visitors of the increased law enforcement presence. Officers said the goal is to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s arrests and ensure public safety.

For now, officials say the evening remains calm, but they are prepared to respond quickly if large crowds begin to form.

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