10/18/17 11:00pm
Instant Reaction: Atlanta Hawks 117-111 win vs Dallas Mavericks
Photo: @ATLHawks
With the 2017 NBA season finally here, the Atlanta Hawks traveled to Dallas to take on the Mavericks in their season opener! In this matchup, the Hawks look a lot different after getting rid of Dwight Howard, Paul Millsap, Jose Calderon, and Tim Hardaway Jr in the offseason. They bring a new lineup with the likes of Dwayne Dedmon and rookies John Collins and Tyler Dorsey who are energetic and ready to make a name for themselves.
As I previously wrote about in Atlanta Hawks 1st round pick, John Collins, looks to make an immediate impact, John Collins did just that! As the 1st quarter came to a close and the Hawks leading 27-24, Collins’ stat sheet was everything the fans had hoped for! He led the team with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Not bad for a rookie in the first quarter of his professional career!
The 2nd quarter is where things got a little dicey, multiple turnovers and sloppy plays by Dallas allowed Atlanta to go on a 10-0 run and quietly build momentum to take a 58-47 lead into halftime. With Dennis Schroder leading the team with 16 points and John Collins and Taurean Prince leading with 5 rebounds a piece, the Hawks were now only 24 minutes away from their first win of 2017.
To start the 3rd quarter the Mavericks caught fire and erased a 11 point deficit in under 7 minutes. Now it was the Hawks turn to respond and in the final 5 minutes of the quarter they were able to keep the game tied at 82-82 going into the 4th quarter. With Marco Belinelli coming alive in the 3rd, he along with Dennis Schroder lead the team with 18 points and Taurean Prince led with 7 rebounds.
The 4th quarter started and instantly became a back and forth battle to see who would make a run. Neither team was able to pull away and it became what team would have the last possession. With the Hawks up 113-111 with 14 seconds left in regulation, the Mavericks sent Taurean Prince to the line and he nailed both free throws to extend the score to 115-111. Following a defensive rebound by Kent Bazemore and two free throws, the Hawks defeated the Mavericks 117-111!
Notable Preformances:
Dennis Schroder: 13-26 28 pts, 2 rebs, 7 assists
Marco Bellinelli: 7-14 20 pts, 3 rebs, 3 assists, 3 steals
John Collins: 6-10 14 pts, 5 rebs, 2 steals
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