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 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.

“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

ATLANTA – Atlanta police have increased the reward in their search for a suspect accused of stabbing a bank employee during an attempted robbery last week.

Officials say the robbery happened around noon on Nov. 20 at the United Community Bank on Caroline Street NE.

On that day, officers responded to the bank after receiving reports of a robbery and stabbing and found one employee stabbed in the stomach. 

According to investigators, an unidentified male entered the bank, went behind the employee counter, and demanded money from a staff member.

When the man was informed that there was no money available, he reportedly stabbed the employee and ran off.

The injured employee was transported to the hospital and is expected to recover from their injuries.

“This act of violence is deeply appalling,” a spokesperson for United Community Bank said in a statement. “We are enormously grateful to law enforcement and will continue to support their efforts, so this individual is arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Officials hope the new reward of $25,000 will lead to information that will help them arrest and indict the suspect.

“We are deeply committed to ensuring justice for the victim and the safety of our community,” said Sgt. Travis Williams, Director of Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta. “We believe this significant increase in the reward will encourage someone with critical information to step forward.”

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers Atlanta. Tips can be provided by calling 404-577-TIPS (8477), visiting StopCrimeAtl.org, or texting “CSGA” along with the tip to CRIMES (738477).

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.