Hawks
Hawks' Bench and Threes Bury Mavericks 135-111 in Preseason Tune-Up
The Atlanta Hawks routed the Dallas Mavericks 135-111 at American Airlines Center behind a 21-of-51 night from three and a 69-35 bench advantage. Dallas never led by more than one point while Atlanta's lead swelled to 29. Both clubs enter the year still looking for their rotations with this preseason game going in the books as a tune-up, not a standings mover.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightTurning PointAtlanta led 39-34 after one and then blew the game open in the second quarter, outscoring Dallas 34-20 to go up…
Atlanta led 39-34 after one and then blew the game open in the second quarter, outscoring Dallas 34-20 to go up 73-54 at the half. The Mavericks got within shouting distance only in flashes — their biggest lead of the game was a single point, and they changed leads four times, same as Atlanta. But Atlanta answered every push: a 29-24 third quarter stretched the margin to 102-78, and the Hawks coasted home 33-33 in the fourth to close it out 135-111.
02Hawks' Top PerformersNickeil Alexander-Walker led all Atlanta scorers with 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 6-of-10 from three,…
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led all Atlanta scorers with 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 6-of-10 from three, adding 5 assists in under 27 minutes. Jalen Johnson nearly posted a double-double starter's stat line with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Off the bench, Aaron Wiggins poured in 19 points on 4-of-9 three-point shooting and finished a game-best plus-33, while Jock Landale added 16 points on a tidy 4-of-5 shooting with 6 rebounds and 5 assists in 21 minutes.
03Mavericks' Top PerformersCooper Flagg had the best individual line in the building, scoring 26 points with 12 rebounds and 4 assists on…
Cooper Flagg had the best individual line in the building, scoring 26 points with 12 rebounds and 4 assists on 8-of-20 shooting in 29.8 minutes. Zaccharie Risacher was efficient with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting, and Kyrie Irving matched him with 18 points on 5-of-7 from three. P.J. Washington struggled, shooting just 3-of-13 and finishing a team-worst minus-21 in 27 minutes.
04Where It Was WonDallas actually won the paint, 50-38, but everywhere else Atlanta ran away with it.
Dallas actually won the paint, 50-38, but everywhere else Atlanta ran away with it. The Hawks shot 21-of-51 from three compared to Dallas's 13-of-33, and their bench outscored Dallas's reserves 69-35 — Wiggins, Landale, Kingston Flemings (10 points, 6 assists) and Luguentz Dort (8 points, 3 steals) all contributed. Atlanta also dominated transition, scoring 19 fast-break points to Dallas's 6, and turned 13 Dallas turnovers into 16 points while committing only 13 of its own.
05What It MeansFor Atlanta, the second unit's 69 points is an encouraging sign of depth heading into the regular season, with…
For Atlanta, the second unit's 69 points is an encouraging sign of depth heading into the regular season, with Alexander-Walker and Wiggins both showing scoring punch off the bench. For Dallas, Flagg's 26-and-12 is a strong preseason marker, but the 50-point paint showing was undercut by poor three-point defense and a non-existent transition game. As a preseason contest, the result carries no standings weight for either club, which both sit at 0-0.
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